Come celebrate the blues!
Family fun and fresh Texas blueberries! What better way to spend a summer weekend?
From a blueberry pancake breakfast on the red brick streets to music, games and
vendors, the 28th annual Texas Blueberry Festival promises you’ll run out of weekend
before you run out of fun. Come celebrate Texas blues in Texas’ oldest town.

EDITOR’S NOTE
Kids sometimes get a “bad rap” as parents
wring their hands over the amount of time
they devote to their electronic screens,
playing video games, watching TV, and
managing their online social lives. But
summer’s arrival brings new opportunities to offset some of that screen time with
more traditional forms of interaction for
kids and adults alike. Whether the goal is
a weekend getaway or a full-fledged vacation, resorts, campgrounds and quaint, historic towns in Texas’ Upper East Side provide a marvelous array of options. There’s
family-friendly fun at Jellystone Park near
Lindale, RV and cabin-camping at Pine
Creek Country Inn in Nacogdoches, laidback luxury at High Hill Farm in Arp and
scenic bliss at Sabor A Pasion — and that’s
just for starters. Read more in “A Dozen
Great Summer Staycation Destinations,”
Page 8.
Another cool thought for encouraging
anti-screen activities is — wait for it — poetry. For inspiration, this issue contains
six pages of it, the winning entries of the
Northeast Texas Poetry In Schools Contest. Demonstrating the creativity that’s
growing in towns and schools sprinkled
throughout the region, the contest collect-

info@countylinemagazine.com
County Line Magazine is published every other month, 6 times
a year. Subscription costs: $15 per year. Bulk rate postage paid
at Ben Wheeler, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
County Line Magazine, P.O. Box 608, Ben Wheeler, TX 75754.
Contents COPYRIGHT 2017 County Line all rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced without written permission. Opinions
expressed in articles or advertising appearing in this magazine
do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. Mailing address: P.O. Box 608, Ben Wheeler, TX 75754 Phone: 903.963.8306.
E-mail: info@countylinemagazine.com Website: www.countylinemagazine.com. Free listings are entered on a space available basis. Advertising space may be purchased by calling
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Serving the
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ed 526 entries from students in grades 1-12
who artfully strung words together to convey whimsical and emotional sentiments.
Enjoy the wordplay, starting on Page 32.
County Line always keeps readers in the
know on the musical front, and “Two Peas
in a Pod” on Page 38, continues the tradition with a profile of Katy Lou and Penny
Lea Clark, the talented identical twins who
perform as The Purple Hulls. They’ve just
released their third album and perform in
June at the Blueberry Bluegrass Concert in
Nacogdoches (June 9) and at Tyler’s Liberty Hall (June 16).
More good-to-know options found within
include an update on Longview’s tiny
house trendsetter (Page 46); the joy that
Therapy Dogs of Van Zandt County spread
to seniors at area residential facilities (Page
48); and a brief tribute to several impressively poised and prominent community
matriarchs in the region (Page 50). And,
of course, County Line Magazine is always
full of arts, stage, culture and entertainment news as well as food, film, literary and
history offerings. You’re welcome.
Elaine Rogers
Managing Editor

LETTERS
Dear Editor,
Thanks for the good info. We’re considering a move to Tyler and are happy to
know there are lots of events to enjoy.

would tell us it was an event she would
never forget, and she didn’t.
Vince Curry
Midland, Texas

Remembering New London’s Longest
Night 80 Years Later, March/April 2017
This is the best article I’ve ever read
on the New London School explosion.
Thank you.

Thank you County Line Magazine and
Steve Freeman for this nice article
about my films and my journey as a filmmaker. Honored to be highlighted in
this month’s magazine. A nice birthday
present from back home.

Jayne Lankford
Mineola

Derek Wayne Johnson
Hollywood, California

I am lucky. My grandmother, great
aunt, and two great uncles survived that
day. My grandmother and great aunt
jumped out of the second story and my
two great uncles had skipped school after lunch that day to go see a western
movie in the next town over. My grandmother just passed away at 93 years. She

A Dozen Great Summer Staycation Destinations
Park the car and enjoy walkable getaways

By P.A. Geddie
For those seeking fun weekend destinations where plenty of activities are easily within walking distance once they
arrive, there’s no need to look further

than the Upper East Side of Texas.
From family-packed adventures to romantic getaways, girlfriend gatherings,
and individual outings, here are a few
hot locations to help plan rewarding
getaways this summer.

1. The Harbor. Rockwall
From the stellar service and ambience
of the Hilton Dallas/Rockwall Lakefront hotel to the getaway feel of Lake
Ray Hubbard’s sailing and sunsets,
waterfront dining, garden paths, and
beautiful water fountains, The Harbor
is an exceptional nearby getaway. Restaurants like Gloria’s Latin Cuisine,
Dodie’s Cajun Diner, and Campisi’s
Italian are inviting, relaxing locations
for delicious food and drinks near the
water’s edge. The Harbor is under new
management and promises new shopping experiences, and its Cinemark
movie theater shows the latest releases.
During the summer, The Harbor offers
a concert series by the lake and picnics
are encouraged anytime. The Hilton
has a great relaxing lakefront pool area
and its own share of lake views. To book
a room at the Hilton call 214.771.3700
or go to www3.hilton.com.
8 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MAY/JUNE 2017

2. Peninsula Ranch & Lodge
Lake Tawakoni

nature trails. A unique feature here are
two of the largest pecan trees in the state
of Texas — one is close to 225 years old.
Native whitetail deer often feed near
the lodge as well as longhorns, black
buck antelope, Axis and fallow deer. In
addition, exotic animals like zebra, ostrich, emu, and elk are routinely seen
at the ranch. Guests may fish along the
shoreline or from two private piers or
a boat. For extra enjoyment of Peninsula Ranch’s scenic trails, wagon tours
are available by appointment. Call
903.461.9924 or visit peninsularanch.
com for more information.

3. Mill Creek Ranch RV Park
& Resort. Canton

Peninsula Ranch offers 550 acres of natural beauty on a secluded peninsula in
the waters of Lake Tawakoni. Individual
rooms or the entire lodge can be rented
for groups, and there’s also a suite with
its own kitchen. Typically, guests bring
their own food and beverages and have
access to the main kitchen or outdoor
grill, but catering is also an option.
Many rooms overlook the water and the
ranch offers seven miles of shoreline,
open fields of native grasses, and quiet

This award-winning location offers plenty to do onsite, both from the RV park
and cabin rentals. The Grand Lodge is
exquisite and on Friday nights, things
are hopping with live singer-songwriter
music, and refreshments. The pool and
hot tub adjacent to the Grand Lodge
are spectacular, on-site spa services include massage, and there’s another
pool next to the RV Lodge — plus lots
of kid-friendly activities like board and
video games and scheduled outings like
hay rides. Mill Creek also offers fishing, biking, nature trails, paddleboats, a
nine-hole disc golf course, a children’s
playground, birdwatching, horseshoes,

This little gem, nestled in the piney
woods north of Mineola, invites women
to find relaxation, new friends, nature
and peace in a nurturing environment.
The women’s retreat weekends include
yoga, wine, meditation, farm-to-table
meals, and more. Yoga experience is
not required. Massage is sometimes offered as well. Rooms and bathrooms
are shared with other women as part of
the experience. A guest cabin is available for groups of six or more. Learn
more by calling 469.867.0766 or visit retreatinthepines.com.

5. Jellystone Park
at Whispering Pines. Tyler

This fun, Jellystone-themed resort has
RV and tent sites in addition to cabin
rentals. Featuring costumed characters
like Yogi Bear who roam around and
interact with guests, it is a great destination for families. Situated on 47
acres north of Tyler — between Lindale
and Hawkins — it has two swimming
pools, sand volleyball, miniature golf,
pickleball courts, basketball, laser tag,
gem-mining nature trails and outdoor
game areas. An onsite activities director
plans games, contests, and other engaging, themed activities on weekends and
most holidays. Special events this summer include Cinco de Mayo, Mothers
Day, Yogi Bear’s Hawaiian Luau, Memorial Day Weekend, Fathers Day, Fourth
of July, and Labor Day Weekend. Call
903.858.2405 or visit jellystoneatwhisperingpines.com for more information.

6. Barefoot Bay Marina
Pittsburg/Lake Bob Sandlin
This award-winning, family-friendly waterfront resort offers an RV park as well
as cabin rentals and tent sites, all adjacent to a variety of activities. There’s a
boat ramp for those who want to bring
their own, and paddleboats are also
available. Located on the south side of
Lake Bob Sandlin, unique in its connection to Cypress Springs Lake and
Lake Monticello by earth dams, Barecontinued page 10

Retreat in the Pines. Courtesy photo

Mineola

Barefoot Bay Marina. Courtesy photo

4. Retreat in the Pines

Mill Creek Ranch RV Park & Resort. Courtesy photo

volleyball and basketball. Pets are welcome and Mill Creek has a dog park
onsite as well as plenty of walking trails.
For more information and to make reservations, call 877.927.3439 or go to
millcreekranchresort.com.

MAY/JUNE 2017 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 9

Greer Farm. Photo by Elizabeth Branca

GETAWAYS continued from page 9
foot Bay has a swimming beach, fishing area, sand volleyball and horseshoe
pits. Other amenities include a game
room, hiking trails, birdwatching, bike
rentals, picnic pavilions, a hot tub,
and a lively sports bar. The bar serves
beer, wine and daiquiris as well as a full
Americana menu of pizza, hamburgers,
barbecue, sandwiches, Frito pie, burritos, and more. A jukebox plays all the
latest hits and live bands perform for
special events. For more information,
call 903.856.3643 or visit barefootbaymarina.com.

7. Greer Farm. Daingerfield
Touting its sustainable agriculture practices, Greer Farm puts out the welcome
mat with lush pastures and towering
pine and hardwood trees, gardens and
animals accessible to guests, and ongoing cooking classes featuring farm fresh
ingredients. Accommodations include
four cabins equipped with kitchenettes
and situated by a private 11-acre lake,
plus a two-bedroom barn loft. Guests
may rent paddleboats, kayaks, paddleboards and canoes, and fish off a dock.
Cabins are self-catered, but for groups
of eight or more, private dining is available for dinner, and special arrangements are made for outdoor meals
10 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MAY/JUNE 2017

when the weather is nice. Focusing on
an array of food and flavors, cooking
classes involve hands-on participation,
and, of course, enjoyment of the prepared food. Greer Farm is a no pets/
no smoking venue, but the owners
invite guests to help feed animals —
viewing the ducks, pigs, geese, goats,
sheep, lambs, and roosters; collecting
eggs from chickens; and hand-feeding
the horses. There are walking trails
on the farm as well as a sand beach,
volleyball, tetherball, and horseshoes.
Bicycles are provided with cabin rentals, and May through mid-July, picking
blueberries and blackberries is a favorite activity. To find out more about
this adventure, call 903.645.3232 or
visit greerfarm.com for reservations.

have a variety of activities to choose
from within walking distance of both
two hotels. The city’s architecture is a
major draw — commonly enjoyed during horse-drawn carriage rides — and
attractions include Jay Gould’s Private
Rail Car, the Jefferson Historical Museum, and the Jefferson Playhouse (with
local theatre performances throughout
the year). Golf carts are also available
to rent downtown, and are street legal,
and visitors frequently enjoy a ghost
walk, historical tours, boat tours and
train rides during their stays, while sampling the area’s shopping and dining
options. For more information about a
Jefferson getaway, call 903.665.3733 or
go to visitjeffersontexas.com.

8. Historic Jefferson

High Hill Farm represents the dream
of Jason and Sharon Romano, who designed an intimate vacation retreat inspired by their many travels to places
like the romantic hillsides of Tuscany,
the white-washed cottages of Santorini,
Greece, the sophistication of Manhattan,
and the charm of Seaside, Florida. Blending these styles together, they bring guests
a captivating resort experience in the rolling wooded hills of East Texas.

There are two quite-famous hotels in
downtown Jefferson that make it easy to
stay a few days and be part of this walkable Southern historic village. The Excelsior House Hotel takes guests back in
time with its Southern charm and boasts
an impressive roster of famous visitors
like Ulysses S. Grant, Oscar Wilde and
Lady Bird Johnson. The historic Jefferson Hotel offers Victorian charm and
adjacent dining at Lamache’s Italian
Restaurant. Downtown Jefferson guests

GETAWAYS continued from page 10
ury with the natural beauty of the region. Visitors have access to 100 acres
with winding, walking paths through a
forest of ancient oak trees; a sparkling
reflection pool with stunning views of
the vineyards below; and casual dining
with a farm fresh twist at Côte — serving a seasonal menu of simple yet flavorful dishes. Accommodations include
charming bungalows nestled in the
property’s picturesque hillside. Call
903.730.5055 or visit highhillfarm.com
to learn more or make reservations.

10. Sabor A Pasion
Palestine
This bed and breakfast and culinary
getaway offers a peaceful and relaxing
place to unwind. Situated on 25 acres,
the scenic retreat includes full-service
dining, spacious accommodations and
gorgeous vineyard and garden views.
Accommodation choices are four private cabins or two estate bedrooms —
all generously-sized with private bathrooms, plush queen-sized beds, patio
access and in-room dining. For breakfast or dinner, guests may enjoy gourmet
creations by Chef Simon Webster served
in a variety of table settings. Culinary
and spa packages set the tone (and flavor) for a visit, and guests may join ex12 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MAY/JUNE 2017

isting cooking classes that are regularly
offered or have one specifically designed
for a private group of at least six people.
The spa services with licensed massage
therapists are particularly popular, and
yoga classes are also available for groups
of six or more. With romantic packages
for two that include flowers, chocolates,
strawberries, champagne or a favorite
wine, private dining may be arranged in
the vineyard or B&B rooms. Learn more
about this East Texas treasure or make
reservations by calling 903.729.9500 or
visiting saborapasion.com.

11. Redlands Historic Inn
Palestine
Situated in downtown Palestine, The
Redlands Historic Inn offers overnight
suites to groups and individuals. Built
in 1914, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was at one
time the headquarters for the International & Great Northern Railroad.
Featuring great views from the rooftop
patio, the inn is also home to The Redfire Grille, a fine dining establishment
headed up by Executive Chef Christian Mailloux. With the award-winning
chef’s extensive knowledge of wine and
food pairings, Red Fire Grille serves up
an evolving menu that keeps patrons
coming back for more. For shoppers,
The Redlands offers an eclectic collec-

tion of boutique fashions, candles, home
fragrances, giftware, jewelry, and art by
Texas artists. Just past the doors of the
hotel are 12 square blocks of historical
buildings, including entertainment at
the Texas Theater and welcoming possibilities at other restaurants, antique
stores, Granny Muffin Wines, Eilenberger Bakery, the Texas Art Depot, Pint &
Barrel Pub, and Sanctuary Retreat salon
and spa —with occasional specials for
Redlands guests. A good itinerary is a
Saturday morning spa, afternoon shopping, a tour of the Art Tracks Outdoor
Sculpture exhibit, and dinner. It’s a
good idea to check with the Palestine
Visitor Center to see what special events
may be going on in the downtown area
to help in planning this trip. For more
information, call 903.729.2345 or visit
redlandshistoricinn.com.

12. Pine Creek Country Inn
Nacogdoches
Located 10 miles west of Nacogdoches
on 25 wooded acres, Pine Creek Country Inn is equipped with RV sites and
cabins and creates a family-friendly
haven that also welcomes pets under
20 pounds. Beyond a swimming pool,
Jacuzzi and spa services that include
massage, Pine Creek’s roster of activities includes archery, skeet shooting,
outdoor games, swings and fishing

ponds. The cabin rentals include inroom continental breakfast during the
week and a Country Breakfast buffet at
the Creekside Café on Fridays, Saturdays, and holidays. The Creekside Café
is open Thursday-Saturday for dinner
as well, offering salads, shrimp cocktail, lamb chops, salmon, beef bourguignon, Angus ribeye, burgers, and
desserts like apple pie, bread pudding,
and more. Guests are welcome to bring
their own alcoholic beverages, and the
café offers menus for special events like
Mothers Day Brunch and also accommodates groups by reservation. Call
936.560.6282 or visit pinecreeklodge.
com for more information.
Want to check out one of the RV getaways
but don’t have an RV? There are several locations in the region that rent them:
2 Guys RV and Storage. 7659 US Highway
69N, Tyler. 903.630.7400. 2guysrv.com
Royce Rentals. Flint. 903.894.7978
roycerentals.com
Spring Hill RV Rental. Longview
903.295.1608. springhillrv.com
S&R Rentals. Marshall
903.935.1985. sandrrvsalesandrentals.com

Sabor a Pasion. Courtesy photo

RV Rentals

Pine Creek Country Inn. Daniel George Photography

MAY/JUNE 2017 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 13

WINNSBORO CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT

Best Live Music Venue!
R CINCO RANCH

LIEFIE LI VINE

214 N. Main St. - (903) 347-6518

302 N. Main St. - (903) 347-1111

COPPERLEAF DAY SPA

WINNSBORO TEXAS

209 N. Main St. - (903) 342-7772

FLOWERLAND

215 N. Main St. - (903) 342-6310

THE ROOSTER CAFE

Texas Certified Cultural Arts District

Monica Rizzio
May 13

Peter Yarrow
May 19

LA CONCHITA

205 N. Walnut St. - (903) 347-1213

THE BOWERY

111 Broadway - (903) 347-6541

Dining, Music, Arts, & Entertainment

BREWBAKER’S

STAR DRAGONFLY HERBS

210 N. Main St. - (903) 342-6119

Neptune’s Car

300 N. Main St., Suite C - (903) 588-4313

100 East Cedar Street • 903-588-0465

200 MARKET STREET • 903-342-0686

DINE. SHOP. STAY. ARTS. ENTERTAINMENT.
All shows start at 7:30 PM.
Tickets available online at
www.winnsborocenterforthearts.com;
Winnsboro Emporium, 212 Market
St., 903-342-6140; and at the
Winnsboro Center for the Arts.

Rich in history. Steeped in country. First in class.
FINDERS KEEPERS ANTIQUES

304 N. Main St. - (903) 347-1271

Logos represent
donors or
supporters and
are utilized by
permission only.

BEAUWEEVILS

205 N. Main - (903) 342-6800

WINNSBOROCENTERFORTHE ARTS.COM

THIS TIME OF YEAR
MAY 14, 1833

JUNE 18, 1850

Wynne Community Honored
as Home to Early Settler

Descendants of Edmund Wynne — from Texas and other states — surround a Texas Historical Marker
honoring the early East Texan at Hillcrest Cemetery. Photo courtesy of Tom Tyler

Everyone in these parts and far beyond
knows of Canton, but fewer know of
the historic Hillcrest Cemetery located
near the First Monday grounds. Fewer
still know of Edmund (also spelled “Edmond”) Wynne, who is buried there, or
of the Wynne Community itself. A Texas
Historical Marker honors Wynne and his
post-Civil War efforts to improve the lives
of other former slaves.
Wynne was born June 18, 1850, to a family of slaves living in Cherokee County.
They moved to Van Zandt County in

1866. As an adult, Wynne moved to Canton in 1882 to work as a farmer, and he
was instrumental in aiding other former slaves and building a church and
a school. Ann Moore, a member of the
Hillcrest Cemetery Restoration Committee, says Wynne helped establish the
Wynne Community, now considered
one of the oldest still-intact AfricanAmerican communities in the state. After a lifetime of community involvement,
he died on April 1, 1931. Some members
of the Wynne family still live there today.

JUNE 3, 2008

Ry Cooder’s ‘Paris, Texas’ Soundtrack
The soundtrack to the movie Paris,
Texas, released June 3, 2008. Songs like
“Paris, Texas,” “Nothing Out There,”
“Cancion Mixteca,” “Houston in Two
Seconds,” “She’s Leaving the Bank,”
and “Dark Was the Night” take listeners
back to the iconic movie starring Harry
Dean Stanton, Nastassja Kinski, and
Dean Stockwell. Considered by many to
be one of Ry Cooder’s best soundtracks,
it is filled with haunting slide guitar music that takes on a character all its own.
It’s available on amazon.com.
16 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MAY/JUNE 2017

Thruston (center) was 7-foot, 7 inches tall and
is standing here next to men who are 6-foot, 8
inches and 6-foot, 6 inches.

Remembering the
Tallest Man in the
American Civil War
May 14, 1883, is the birthdate of Henry
Clay Thruston who is known as the tallest man (7-foot, 7-inches) to serve in
the Confederate Army during the Civil
War. Historians suspect his birthplace
was in South Carolina, but he moved to
Mount Vernon as an adult and became
a landowner. Because of his impressive
height, he also toured with traveling
circuses as a sideshow act — often playing the part of Uncle Sam in parades
that promoted the arrival of circuses in
towns. According to an article in southernmemoriesandupdates.com, Thruston had
recently returned home to Mount Vernon after a veterans reunion when he
died in June 1909 of heart failure surrounded by his family. An 8-foot coffin
had to be delivered by train from Texarkana, and the rear door of the hearse
couldn’t be closed. He is buried in Edwards Cemetery in Mount Pleasant.

JUNE 10

Celebrating the Tomato

PAPER

Indulge
YOU DESERVE IT

The city of Jacksonville takes its title as
Tomato Capital of the World quite seriously throughout the year with large
concrete tomatoes adorning the streets.
Once a year, city officials do it big with
the Tomato Festival, turning Jacksonville into Tomatoville for a week. The
festival takes place on June 10 this year
and activities include live music, a farm-

ers market, sports events at the Tomato
Bowl, a tomato-eating contest, a tomatopeeling contest, a salsa contest, a best
homegrown tomato contest, and a tomato shoot and archery. Other fun includes
a talent contest, kids zone, car show, and
fried green tomatoes as well as a Saturday night street dance. New this year is a
Ski Show on Lake Jacksonville.

JUNE 11, 1949

Happy Birthday to ZZ Top’s Frank Beard

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Upper East Side of Texas
Regional Magazine

ZZ Top’s drummer Frank Beard was
born in Frankston on June 11, 1949.
Ironically, he is the band member without a long beard. Formerly, he was with
the bands The Cellar Dwellers, The
Hustlers, The Warlocks, and American
Blues before forming ZZ Top with Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill. Their first
release, an album called ZZ Top’s First

Album, was recorded at Robin Hood
Studios in Tyler in 1971 and helped
establish their quirky attitudes and humor as well as the trio’s unique blend
of boogie, hard rock, heavy metal, and
Southern rock. The band has a few
Texas shows scheduled in May and June
before they head off to Europe for the
rest of the summer.

fl&g
903.963.8306
countylinemagazine.com

MAY/JUNE 2017 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 17



CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT

Check out the eMAGAZINE
www.countylinemagazine.com
for extended event listings.

May 13
Lisa Rush demonstrates weaving techniques on an outdoor loom at the Junebug Summer Fair in Ben
Wheeler. This year’s event is scheduled for June 17-18. Photo by Tom Geddie

Organizers at The Forge Bar & Grill in
Ben Wheeler are gearing up for the 5th
Annual Junebug Summer Fair, set for
June 17-18. The here-comes-summer
festival highlights the work of local artists and musicians while celebrating sustainable living, wineries, and local farmers produce.
The rustic restaurant and music venue
is located in a turn-of-the-century blacksmith shop that now features a handcrafted cedar bar and tables to match,
along with inviting, comfy booths. Surrounding The Forge is a three-acre
park-like property complete with herb
gardens, a teepee, and a pavilion where
bands take the stage and dancers fill the
floor.
It’s a fun place to hang out anytime, but
during Junebug weekend, guests have
added opportunities. While festival attendees view artist demonstrations, they
can actually join in the process. Several
live art stations such as a community
loom and pottery wheel are popular activities for adults and kids alike.
18 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MAY/JUNE 2017

Wineries are also scheduled this year,
offering wine tastings, food pairings,
and wine sales.
Junebug Summer Fair is open Saturday
from 10 a.m. to midnight and Sunday
from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Forge is
open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
with a regular menu that includes gourmet specialty pizzas, veggie wraps, salads, sandwiches, tacos, fish and chips,
quesadillas, salmon, burgers, and signature Blue Cheese Chips — plus access
to a full bar. For more information, call
903.833.5970 and visit theforgebenwheeler.com

Bands like The Blake Brothers help kick off
the Texas Blueberry Festival during a Friday
night concert at the annual Nacogdoches
event. Courtesy photo
The 28th Annual Texas Blueberry Festival kicks off June 9, starting with a 6-10
p.m. Blueberry Bluegrass Concert in the
Park in downtown Nacogdoches.
The concert, held at Festival Plaza, features The Purple Hulls from Kilgore
(see interview in this issue); The Baker
Family, an award-winning band from
Birch Tree, Missouri; The Blake Brothers, a high-energy bluegrass group from
Shreveport; and The Sabine River Bend
Band, a group of long-time Southeast
Texas musicians who have played together since 2008.
On Saturday, June 10, the day-long celebration of the annual blueberry harvest
includes a slew of family-friendly events
and activities, including a blueberry
pancake breakfast, a bounce park, makeand-take arts and crafts, a pet parade,
pie eating contests, and a washer board
tournament. Refreshments abound at
the Blueberry Hill Soda & Sweet Shoppe
and there are plenty of food and arts
vendors as well. Downtown merchants
and local businesses promise blueberry
sweet specials and thousands of pounds
of fresh blueberries are available for
sale.
For more information, call 936.560.5533
or visit tbf.nacogdoches.org.

Help for Honeybees
“Texas Honey Queen” Marilyn Arnaud
will award prizes to winners of a hivepainting contest June 17 at the Winnsboro Farmers Market. The contest is
sponsored by the Wood County Beekeepers Association and features an
observation hive, children’s activities,
and a “Save the Bees” presentation with
an extraction demonstration. People
can also bid in a silent auction to pur-

chase the painted hives. WCBA helps
beekeepers set up and maintain hives
all over the Upper East Side of Texas
and sponsors the event to promote
public awareness about the importance
of honeybees to the human food supply and bring attention to how bees are
struggling to survive due to pesticides,
lack of forage, imported parasitic mites,
and ever-changing climate.

NASA Launch Site Offers Tours

The Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Palestine is one of only a handful of NASA launch sites
in the world where balloons as large as 400 feet in diameter conduct studies of the upper atmosphere
and outer space. Tours are available each May and June and by appointment throughout the year. Call
903.723.0271 to make reservations and visit csbf.nasa.gov for more information. Photo courtesy of
NASA
MAY/JUNE 2017 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 19

PEOPLE NET

A Beautiful Message

spreading her message with the slogan,
“Blended Child, Blended Family, A
Beautiful Life.”
An aspiring actress who is both biracial
and adopted, Peterson was raised in the
Hill Country with a sister who was also
adopted — and in a family that often fostered children.

Silks, Glass, Metals
and More

“I have a cousin who was adopted and my
mother-in-law was adopted too,” she says,
“so I always tell people that they probably
know somebody impacted by adoption,
but in my case, it’s practically everybody.”

Lindsey Peterson of Quitman isn’t one
to sit quietly for long; she kept a particularly full calendar of speaking engagements and special appearances this
spring in her role as Mrs. Wood County.
The poised 28-year-old promotes a multicultural adoption awareness campaign,

Mrs. Wood County has a one-year-old
daughter and is married to Stuart Peterson, a Dallas firefighter. Until recently,
she worked as a realtor in Mineola, but
recently quit to focus on acting. In early
May, she travels to Corsicana to compete
for the title of Mrs. Texas, and her future
plans include writing a children’s book
about the merits of multicultural adoption.
A lifelong artist, Winnsboro newcomer
Valery Guignon is regularly found at
the Winnsboro Center for the Arts, volunteering at the gift shop and teaching
classes on everything from fabric painting to mask-making. Outgoing and entering her seventh decade, she’s fond
of sharing stories of past adventures —
like selling her wearable art to Cher in a
chic boutique on Hollywood’s fashionable Rodeo Drive (and not realizing the
identity of the buyer).

Crazed About Cars and Cats
D’Ann Rauh of Arp spares no expense on
her collections, and according to her husband Wayne, she has two main passions:
cars and cats.
Specifically, her weakness in the vehicle
department is the Dodge Viper, a “street
legal race car” introduced in 1992.
Through the years, the couple built up
a huge Viper collection — currently 80
strong. “Only 21 are mine; the rest are
hers,” Wayne explains.
Retired from an oilfield trucking business, he says they used to house their fleet
in six buildings on their 28-acre property
— until word spread in the region about
D’Ann’s love of cats and informal animal
20 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MAY/JUNE 2017

rescue activities, and she repurposed one
of the car buildings as a giant cat kennel.
People routinely dump stray cats at their
doorstep or call and ask her to save their
animals, and not too long ago, the couple
reportedly had more than 100 rescued
cats and dogs on their property.
“We work hard to get them adopted out
and work with the SPCA and others on
that,” Wayne says. “It’s crazy how much
money we spend on litter and vet bills trying to help all these cats.”
Of course, collecting cars is costly as well,
but since Dodge has stopped building Vipers now, Wayne thinks that collection is
“mostly topped off.”

As a painter, jewelry-maker, fiber artist,
and welder, Guignon says there’s hardly
anything, art-wise, that intimidates her.
“Art was always it for me,” she says. “I
started as a kid, just making things, and
I always excelled at it. Teachers were always encouraging too.”
While selling her own line of upscale,
hand-dyed and decorated silk scarves,
shawls, and other wearable treasures at
specialty boutiques nationwide — and
online at guignon.com — the versatile artist has settled quickly into the
rhythm of small-town life in Winnsboro.
She frequently invites other artists to
her home for socialization and support,
and says she envisions building a sculpture garden in the backyard to serve as
a gathering place for the area’s creative
community.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the start of TV manufacturing by the Curtis Mathes Corporation.
The company made many of the TVs that were the first sets to go in homes across the country. Like the
1961 Danish Modern model (pictured), the majority of its sets were made in Athens. From 1968 to 1988,
the Curtis Mathes Corporation was the only fully American-owned electronics firm and the only American
television manufacturer. The company sold to Enhanced Electronics in 1988. Although no longer manufacturing TVs, the Curtis Mathes brand is still used today with innovative LED lighting products. Learn
more at curtismathesstore.com.

One of the downtown Greenville murals, this bold and modern wall has a painted background, directional signage, a life-size cut out of Gussie Nell Davis
(creator of the Greenville Flaming Flashes and Kilgore Rangerettes), and a four-by-eight framed section for changeable art to keep it fresh and evolving. A metal
sculpture is attached to the wall and backlit at night and a three-dimensional sculpture sits on the edge of the sidewalk. Courtesy Photo

Deep in the Art of Texas Exhibition. Athens.
Opening party June 10. Gallery 211.
903.292.1746 artgallery211.net

Facetime with Artist Debora Lytle
Local portraitist has growing audience
By Elaine Rogers
A growing number of portraits hanging in lobbies
and offices at Texas A&M University-Commerce bear
the distinctive style of local artist Debora Lytle, an
alum increasingly recognized for her realistic and
artful paintings.
In recent years, she’s painted eight or nine university portraits, and currently, is working on one for
Dr. Mary Hendrix, retired university vice president
for student access and success. Like the others, it
will hang at the university. The artist says she finds
that creating portraitures is “a very rewarding experience” and she gets excited about every project of
this type, whether the subject is a woman, man, or
child.
“As a portrait artist, I am freezing a moment in time
that will never happen again or we are honoring
someone for their accomplishments,” she says. “It’s
extremely fulfilling to have the opportunity to do this
and to be able to touch people’s lives in this way.”
Lytle’s approach to portraiture involves spending
about two hours with the person she’s about to
paint. She takes a few photographs and concentrates
on getting to know their personality. That leads to
a painted sketch on her canvas — starting with the
face because, she says, that’s the most exciting part.
Working on the project daily, she aims for true-to-life
imagery.
An active member of Hunt County Public Art, Lytle
is a former art teacher who has lived in Commerce
for more than three decades — teaching art for
eight years at the middle school and high school
levels. Before that, she taught in Quinlan, Sulphur
Springs, and Royce City, and also had a stint as an
adjunct drawing and art appreciation professor at
Paris Junior College.

Murals by the artist are popping up around town as
well. She painted a mural entitled “Read Beneath the
Sea” for Commerce Elementary School in the new ArboREADum reading area, and is set to start work on a
Native Wildflower mural in the lobby area of the new
Hunt Regional Medical Center in Greenville.
Lytle was recently recognized as Woman Artist of the
Month by fineartamerica.com and won Best Artist in
County Line Magazine’s Best of 2016 poll.
Learn more at deboralytle.com.

Sarah in the Garden by Debora Lytle

Using oil paint or soft pastels for most portrait commissions, Lytle sometimes uses a drawing medium if
a portrait client wants that instead of a painting. And
she commonly uses watercolors, acrylics, charcoal,
and graphite pencils for other types of art.

MAY/JUNE 2017 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 25

STAGE
Cherokee Civic Theatre Presents Original Musical
One Song cast members include: Terrius Aldridge, Sean Anderson, J’Nae Arrington, Keira Beck, Jarrett Brake, Orion Brake, Kylaney Breen, Sage Breen,
Alijah Francis, Ethan Gonzalez, Katelyn
Green, Stevie Rae Gresham, Ella Kovacs,
Meg Kovacs, Brynna Link, Maggie Link,
Abigail McCalister, Nicholas McCalister,
Bryce McCoy, Madeline Murphy, Emily Pierce, Lisa Pierce, Amanda Pointer,
MaKenna Pointer, Ila Sanchez, Connor
Sessions, Kevin Swindell, Dane Trent,
Donovan Trent, and Erica Truelock.
The second weekend presentation of historic Cherokee Civic Theatre’s original
musical One Song takes place May 5-7.
A funny, touching, and true-to-life story,
One Song is about a set of students and
families of a small-town school who are
given a special assignment: to share their
own personal stories with a toy bear that
will become a gift for a terminally ill
schoolmate.

26 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MAY/JUNE 2017

Produced by Tim Howell, the show is
directed by Minette Bryant and features
a book, lyrics, and music by Bryant as
well. The score, composed by Seth Lord,
weaves the stories of varied students into
a heartwarming musical tapestry as the
characters eventually realize that, regardless of their differences, their similarities are stronger and they all share
one song.

Performed in Rusk on the Cherokee
Civic Theatre’s grand stage, the show’s
“world premiere” featured April 29 and
30 performances, and the May show
times include evening performances
at 7:30 p.m. as well as a 2 p.m. Sunday
matinee. For tickets and information,
call 903.683.2131 or visit cherokeetheatre.net.

Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood.
Longview. The stars of the Emmy-nominated
Whose Line Is It Anyway present an evening of
extraordinary improvisational comedy.
Using their quick wit, they take suggestions
from the audience to create hilarious and
original scenes. Throughout the evening,
the show becomes truly interactive as audience members are called to the stage to
participate in the fun. Belcher Center.
903.233.3080 belchercenter.com

Collection from Tyler Continues to Thrill Film Scholars
By Steve Freeman
A small film collection branded with “Tyler, Texas” has gained fans among film
historians and race relations researchers.
Although short on entertainment value
by today’s standards, the films provide
an invaluable look at African American
cultural history in the early 20th century.
The films were found in a warehouse in
Tyler, possibly used for celluloid reel film
distribution shipments to regional movie
theaters. Eventually, Bill Jones — a professor at Southern Methodist University
in Dallas — acquired the films in 1983
and entered them into SMU’s G. William
Jones Film & Video Collection at the
Hamon Arts Library. There, they reside,
preserved and digitized.
The “Tyler, Texas Black Film Collection”
comprises six short flicks, nine features,
and a set of newsreels, all black-andwhite and all produced between 1935
and 1958. These so-called “race movies”
include comedies, dramas, news broadcasts and musical performances. They
were made for African American audiences by pioneering African American
directors, producers, and actors.
The films cover a time when “Jim Crow”
laws of segregation kept African Americans distanced from Hollywood filmmaking and the entertainment industry as a
whole. Despite their low-budget production, technical flaws, and variable acting
performances, they are considered to be
a treasure trove of cultural artifacts.
“These are among a very small collection of ‘race movies’ from around the
world,” says Rick Worland, a professor
with SMU’s division of film & media arts.
“They weren’t valued at all and had little
after-market value, but then scholars got
hold of them.”
Today, the films are favorite additions for
film festivals everywhere.
Ossie Davis, the late film, television, and
Broadway actor, director, playwright, and
civil rights activist, said these and other
early and rare films of their type exhibit
a “self-consciousness” budding in African Americans in the early 20th century.
They are considered as important in this
28 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MAY/JUNE 2017

Deemed the most significant film of the collection, The Blood of Jesus is a 1941 movie that deals with
themes of the after-life. The Library of Congress National Film Registry added the film to its collection in
1991. Photo courtesy of G. William Jones Film & Video Collection, SMU’s Hamon Arts
Library

respect as the Harlem Renaissance in
terms of liberating African Americans in
art, literature and music. Some 200 films
of this variety are known to exist from estimates of some 3,000 produced during
those years.
The collection’s stand-out is The Blood
of Jesus, a 1941 film that scholars believe
was the most widely seen movie of its
type at the time. It is about the accidental shooting of a woman and of the faith
that brings her back. As she lies dying,
her soul goes on a symbolic journey and
ultimately chooses heaven over hell.
When the woman awakens recovered, a
church choir offers a singing celebration
of the miracle.
Placed in the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 1991, this highlyregarded film was directed by Spencer
Williams, who gained fame later in his
role as Andy in the hit TV show, Amos &
Andy (1951-53).
Only one film uses Texas as a setting for
the story. In Girl in Room 20 (1946), a
character named Daisy Mae leaves her
home in Prairieville (Kaufman County)
to seek fame as a singer. The corrupting

big city, however, causes her boyfriend to
convince her to return to Texas.
The newsreels observe public life of African Americans from about 1953 to ‘56
with interviews of a few government officials of color who served in various departments in Washington, D.C., during
the Eisenhower administration as well
as some leading African Americans who
attended the Republican National Convention in San Francisco.
Some films range from 10 to 35 minutes
and tell stories of good-hearted struggles
amid life’s trials and temptations through
music and dance. One is solely a musical performance — Boogie Woogie Blues
(1948) features a songstress performing
“Don’t Take Your Love From Me.”
In recent years, the SMU library has
loaned the Tyler film collection to the
University of Chicago, Harvard University, the Museum of Modern Art in New
York and museums in Paris, France, and
Vienna, Austria.
To view the films or learn more about
them, visit smu.edu/CUL/Hamon/
Jones. A three-DVD set of a selection of
the films is also available for purchase.

One of the Coolest Small Towns in Texas

Kids Eat Free Tues.
Unplug & Wine Down Wed.
Live Music Fri. & Sat.
Open 7 Days a Week

Texas Author Blends Fiction
with Local History
Born and raised in West Texas, author
Denzel Holmes began a second career
as a writer after retiring from a career
in federal service. For inspiration, he
turned to his childhood memories
of exploring the state’s huge, remote
ranches and mesas, swimming in the
Pecos River, and imagining Comanches
behind every dusty boulder.
The result is several books in his Mitt
Stone series, including one set in Jefferson. Holmes favors historical fiction
and creates heroes and heroines who
interact with real historical characters.
Entitled Big Cypress, the book is set during Reconstruction and the town’s occupation by Union soldiers. It details
the adventures an earlier book’s character, Curly Smith, a deputy sheriff
who confronts the remnants of the Cullen Baker gang. When he arrests a murderer named Angel Ranigan, the action makes him a hero but touches off
a wave of violence in Jefferson as Old
South sympathizers try to take Texas
back in time.
Holmes’ earlier book, Horse Thief and
The Lady, followed a 14-year-old Texan
named Mitt Stone during the eruption
of the Civil War. The author credits
tales told by his great grandfather with
the inspiration for his Mitt Stone books.
Another of Holmes’ novels, Texas Victory, highlights the role of German immigrants in the settlement of Texas. In
February, he released his eighth book,
30 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MAY/JUNE 2017

Little Stone Mountain, a sequel set in a
more modern era and featuring a descendent of Mitt Stone’s.
The author frequently travels the state,
promoting his books at fairs and community festivals. He will appear June 10
at the Blueberry Festival in Nacogdoches. His books sell on his website for
$10 to $15 apiece. For more information, visit denzelholmes.com.

Former Athens Teacher Tells
Her Own Chicken Soup Tale

Virginia Reeder of Athens is one of
the contributors to the latest version of
the bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul
books. Her story, titled “A Life Once
Touched,” appears in the recently-released Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Teachers — 101 Stories About How
You Make a Difference. It is in tribute to
Ruby Martin, who served as a testing coordinator for Trinity Valley Community
College for many years.
“Without her encouragement, I probably would have never gone to college
to become a teacher,” Reeder says.
Reeder has lived in Athens about 36
years and taught at Athens High School
for 20 years, retiring in 2015. She credits Martin with nudging her in the right
direction and she wanted to let her
know that.
“I feel that the most important part of
the message (in the book) is when I
was compelled to tell Ms. Martin how
much her encouragement had meant
to me. ‘If you had not taken the time to

make me feel as if I had some potential,
if you had not believed in me and encouraged me, I would never have gone
to college. No one ever believed in me
before.’ Teachers so often never get to
know when they have changed a life for
the better. I had a chance to be sure she
knew.”
Reeder will appear at a book-signing
event in May at Gallery 211 in downtown Athens. Check the calendar on
artgallery211.net for details.

Texas Novelist Ainsworth
Continues the Saga

Delta County’s award-winning novelist,
Jim Ainsworth, has released the newest
installment of his popular Riverby series. Entitled Circle of Hurt, it continues the tale of how his likable characters adapt to life in a sleepy little town.
Here’s an excerpt:
They gather around a big table in the back
of Prigmore’s General Store and Café in
downtown Riverby several times a week most
weeks. There are six of them, five men and
one woman. There may have been more or
less in the past. There are no programs or
speakers. Those outside The Circle wonder
what they talk about, but they don’t ask. The
only requirement for membership is to have
been deeply hurt or to have caused serious
hurt to others.
Tee Jessup is not a member of The Circle, but
he qualifies. He spends a lot of time on the
porch of a dilapidated farmhouse on a hill,
feeling sorry for himself over the loss of his
parents, his brother and his wife. He dreams
of taking revenge on the man responsible for

his wife’s death, but he can’t take the vengeance he craves because he has a young son.
Just down the hill from Tee’s home sits a
long-abandoned shack. Decades earlier, it
was used as a shelter for itinerant cotton
pickers during harvest season. Clayton Dupree stayed in the picker shack when he was
a boy. Now he has secretly returned to write
his songs, paint his pictures, play his guitar,
record everything that happens around him,
and nurse a bullet wound.
Ainsworth’s books are available at Amazon.com or from his website, jimainsworth.com.

A Story of Redemption in
the Piney Woods
A new novel set in scenic East Texas
comes from Steve Mims, a resident of
Houston and a retired executive and
attorney. His first book, Return to Mercy,
is the multi-generational story of a family’s journey to redemption with a storyline that involves a chance roadside
reunion, the return of an estranged
child, the arrival of a mysterious guest,
and an ill-fated criminal enterprise.
A primary character, Lillian Irwin, is a
family matriarch whose life is revitalized by the restoration of her long-lost
friendship with a character named
Weezie Wilkins, while Lillian’s son, Roy,
faces the failure of his marriage to Carole, a first wife who gets trapped in a
loveless marriage to the heir of a rival
family’s fortune.

Saturday

Friday
Friday
CODY
CODYJOHNSON
JOHNSON

COLT FORD

Desperate actions and decisions unfold
with unpredictable results, creating a
dramatic storyline. Return to Mercy is
available in paperback on Amazon for
$16.

MORE FOOD & FUN!
Go to County Line eMagazine for
more fun food and drink articles,
recipes, dining ideas, wineries,
farmers markets, and events.

countylinemagazine.com/
Food-Drink

EAST TEXAS
C O L L E C T S

EXHIBITION ON DISPLAY

JULY 8 TO SEPT. 23
OPENING RECEPTION

J U LY 8 , 7 T O 9 P M

903.753.8103 • LMFA.org
215 E. Tyler St. • Longview, TX 75601

MAY/JUNE 2017 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 31

2017
On the next few pages are the selected winners out of 526 submissions in this year’s poetry
contest. A special congratulations goes to 12th grade winner Claire Simmons for receiving a
$500 scholarship from the Rusk County Poetry Society and for winning in six of the last seven
years of County Line’s poetry contests. Many thanks to this year’s judges — professional
writers and educators Melissa DeCarlo, Ann Faulkner, Bill Faulkner, Rica Garcia, Ed Garcia,
Joyce McGee, Adrianne Pamplin, Justin Robinson, and Carol Thompson — and to all the
kids who share their beautiful hearts and minds.

FIRST GRADE
FIRST PLACE

Books

Letters that are BIG
Pages that are really white
Pages that turn back and forth
The cover of the hard book
The soft pages
The new book smell
I feel joyful with books
Alondra Tejada, Nacogdoches
SECOND Place

Bowling Ball

A bowling ball looks like a sphere and is a
round ball going down the lane.
The sound of my bowling ball is Boom, bong,
slam.
Bowling balls have an oily smell.
Bowling balls taste like gritty dirt and sand.
Bowling balls feel like a smooth round rock.
I hope I get to go bowling!
Joseph Morales, Henderson
THIRD PLACE

Church Festival

The struggles of climbing the rock wall
Food booths
Music playing in the background
Somebody singing
The rough carpet on my seat
The vibrating that makes me shake
Stinky feet…P. U.!
Stinky socks…P.U.!
Cold popsicles… yummy!
The great nachos
I feel like God loves me
Katelyn Jackson, Nacogdoches

The loud fireworks popping in my ears.
Beautiful music when we’re dancing.
The lovely pool water on my body.
My mom snuggling with me in bed.
The tasty wonderful breakfast.
The delicious, yummy dinner.
The good dessert.
The yummy sides with my main meal
I feel the joy at Disney World
Destinee Chapman, Nacogdoches
SECOND PLACE

I’m Going on a Toad Hunt

I’m going on a toad hunt
to hunt down all the toads
Because snakes will die of hunger
and monkeys eat those
The Cheetahs eat monkeys
and I guess that’s good
Lions eat cheetahs, knock on wood
Bears eat lions but there won’t be any there!
I’m going on a toad hunt
because I’m afraid of bears.
Harrison Chenault, Henderson
THIRD PLACE

My mom and dad’s warming smile that is
brighter than the sun.
My mom, dad, brother, sister and I
Sitting around the dinner table
The laughter of my family when I tell a joke
My mom asking, “How was your day?”
at the dinner table

The cozy hugs and snuggles
my family gives me
My mom and dad kissing me goodbye
as I walk to school
The smells of BBQ my dad is making
The perfume my mom
is putting on before church
A cold glass of lemonade my dad makes with my
brother splashing it on my face
The sweet ice cream from Marble Slab
Creamery on the weekend.
I feel like the most important kid EVER!
Josue Morones, Nacogdoches
SECOND PLACE

Night Sky

Oh the beautiful night sky
So smooth and silky
it looks like a soft velvety blanket
Ahh, that sweet smell
Wooo what a wonderful whirly windy night
The roots of the night sky
run deep in the heart
Oh the beautiful night sky
Woa the brightly burning big stars
The fluffy gray balls of clouds
cover the gorgeous
night atmosphere like a beautiful whirly
relaxing
pillow
Mady Wilson, Henderson
THIRD PLACE

Floating Feathers

Feathers are as light as paper
They can be white, black, brown, or even gray
They were used for pens back in the day
Some are light like the sunshine in May
Some are dark like midnight on the bay
One is not like any other,
there are so many different colors
Have you ever seen a feather
from way up high
I wish I were a feather floating high in the sky.
Aubrey Elledge, Henderson

FOURTH GRADE
FIRST PLACE

The Wild Life

Huge trees standing tall above me as if Mount
Everest was right in front of me
Little bugs and centipedes on the ground right
next to me
Birds singing a lovely tune up in the trees like
an orchestra lady at a concert

Me crunching on leaves while I’m walking
through the woods
The rough dirt on my hands when I trip over an
average size rock
Dewy plants on my legs
The very nasty, smelly mud
I’m living the life of the wild.
David Brown, Nacogdoches
SECOND PLACE (TIE)

I Am Smart and Imaginative

I am smart and imaginative
I wonder how nature feels about us
I hear animals chittering and chattering around
I see the never-ending battle
between humans and nature
I desire peace between
the smart humans and frolicking animals
I am smart and imaginative
I pretend I’m an artist that makes paint
come to life
I feel the smooth paper moving the images
I touch the paint as it colors me inside
I worry about the future
I cry when left inside the darkness
I am smart and imaginative
I understand how small things
can change lives
I say imagination is the key to anything
I dream the seemingly impossible
I try to make things right
I hope for the bad to turn good again
I am smart and imaginative
Amaris Cerda, Henderson
SECOND PLACE (TIE)

My Mexican Ranch – The Best Place to Be

The flowers blooming on every tree
Water flowing down the steep, rocky hill
Chicks peeping around me
Piglets going “oink, oink” in their cage
The soft fur of the sheep
My grandma’s warm hugs
The amazing smell of the flowers
The yummy burritos my grandma makes
Refreshing cold homemade horchata
There is no place I’d rather be.
Judith Martinez, Nacogdoches
THIRD PLACE (TIE)

It was a shady day, a very shady day.
As we went down the dirt road
We could hear her snorting,
Big, furry, round, and mean.
Rattling like maracas
The hog snorting
A gunshot
Pop!

Silence
The job was done.
Caiden Stafford, Henderson

FIFTH GRADE
FIRST PLACE

The Painting

One clean sheet of paper,
and a little paint brush
Take my time, take my time, no need to rush
Brush to water, then to paint
Not too much pressure, just a little stain
Stroke up, stroke down, then one long glide
Brush with a smooth, slow rhythm, just let it
slide
Stand back and observe, adjust, adjust
Perfection is not a necessity,
but creativity is a must
Now I’m in the zone, I feel so free
Painting is the only thing
that makes me feel like me
One sheet of paper,
now projecting my imagination
I’m very, very pleased with my new creation.
Korian Brown, Longview
SECOND PLACE (TIE)

Most of My Life

Her eyes,
Like a deep
Pool of love
That I can’t go in
Because I won’t pay attention
To how far down
I’m sinking
Her hands,
Like a warm blanket,
That keeps the cold out
Yet lets the warmth in
That keeps the dark out
Yet lets the light in,
Whenever they touch me
Her voice,
A soft melody
That I hear daily
To comfort me during
Hard times
One that’s music
To my ears
Her,
A strong woman
Standing tall above me
I hope to be just like her,
Someday.
I love her very much
She is the most of my life.
Emily Cavazos, Longview
SECOND PLACE (TIE)

People Names

We have Calcium in our bones,
Iron in our veins,
Carbon in our souls,
And
Nitrogen in our brains,

93% percent Stardust,
With
Souls made of flames,
We’re all just stars with weird
“People names”
Emma Hart, Longview
THIRD PLACE (TIE)

Dyslexia

I am Dyslexic
I wonder if I can
I hear “you aren’t trying” and “try harder”
I see jumbled up letters on my page
I want to read like the other kids
I am Dyslexic
I pretend I can
I feel I can’t
I touch my head and wonder
if I still have a brain
I worry I’m not gonna ever read
I cry when I feel dumb
I am Dyslexic
I understand I learn differently
I say I can do it
I dream I read like a pro
I try thinking of things I can do
when I feel frustrated
I hope I go to a good college
I am Dyslexic
Anna Hall, Tyler
THIRD PLACE (TIE)

Where I Am From

I’m from hog whips from Sullivan’s
And the showbox
I’m from the backroads
I’m from boots and pearls
And from Stock Show Girls
I’m from the woods,
The grass burs
I’m from the Christmas Tree farm
From dirt, from Momma and Daddy
I’m from the unorganization
And hometown hicks
From burning daylight
And taking on more responsibilities
I’m from forgiveness
And Everlasting life
That’s where I’m from
Morgan Doerge, Henderson

SIXTH GRADE
FIRST PLACE (TIE)

Ode to Peyton’s Football

It waits outside in a red tub
A bit worn
Clifton printed on the band
An air-born missile
Spiraling in and out of his hands
Playing with Daddy after work
He wants to be like Tom Brady
It is tiring
Making the ball go whistle,
continued page 34
MAY/JUNE 2017 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 33

POEMS continued from page 33
slap, pow and thump
At nine-thirty
He has showered
Eaten, brushed his teeth
And gone to bed
Thinking, falling asleep
His ball
An air-born missile
Its fuse burnt out
Is in the red tub
Peyton Clifton, Henderson
FIRST PLACE (TIE)

Hope of the People

Life and all its aspects
Surround us and influence others.
Give us meaning and spirit
Taken away? Nothing matters anymore.
So let it thrive and become us.
The feelings blossom
Life flowers bursting from the ground.
Beauty, afterwards, is all you can see.
Colors explode, lights dance.
Lift up your hands and decide your fate.
Let it swirl in the wind
Full of hope and compassion
Taking flight in the sky
Clear and blue, pondering what happened.
Then, after that, Happiness can take its hand
And make peace with Death.
Letting us understand.
The Sun and Moon are equal, but different,
Like the rest of the world.
Think, fall silent, and be content.
Because tomorrow is another day
One that will challenge you.
Time after time, once again.
Kate Konrady, Longview
SECOND PLACE (TIE)

I am the grass blowing in the rough storm.
I wonder if God is
really around me in bad times.
I hear yelling in my ears.
I see kicking in front of my face.
I want to have a peaceful and wonderful life.
I am the grass blowing in the rough storm.
I pretend I have a perfect life.
34 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MAY/JUNE 2017

I feel upset when I feel left out in my family.
I touch the trembling people’s hands.
I worry if I’m the only kid
that has had a rough life.
I cry when I remember my birth mom.
I am the grass in the rough storm.
I understand that I act like I’m all that.
I say words I’m really not.
I dream that I die at school.
I try to make my mother smile.
I hope that I will do good in school.
I am the grass in the rough storm.
Grace Baker, Tyler
THIRD PLACE (TIE)

Her Eyes

Her eyes bright as the moon
On a dark night. As beautiful as a spring day
or on a starry night without a moon in sight.
Big brown eyes like a mighty tree standing tall
in the forest
But can’t see the one who loves here until he
comes and tells
her how he feels about her.
Until then, let her eyes shine so bright.
For now and ever.
Merlin Cooper, Cushing
THIRD PLACE (TIE)

1st Grade: Day 1

The color leaves your face.
Why are you so scared of this place?
You really shouldn’t worry.
You’re gonna be late unless you hurry.
You creep in through the front door,
And you start to gain your confidence back a
little more.
You start walking to your first class.
Children running around all that glass.
Is that Shelly from last year?
People are talking as you try to hear.
The principal walks into the room.
Then that instant you know you are in doom.
You say hello to your fellow peers,
and say goodbye to all your fears.
WHOOSH! There goes a paper plane,
and you have to say no to Shane.
Children are like a bow.
They need to be flexed. Don’t you know?
You are about to start the day,
As a kid comes your way.
She asks if you are new here.
Then you reply “Yes dear”.
Now that the announcements have been made,
It is time to start teaching the first grade.
Olivia Blundell, Kilgore

SEVENTH GRADE
FIRST PLACE

I Am Not the Person You See
You think you know me
But we are strangers
Because I am not the person you see
I am not a stereotype
Or the mask I wear
I am my past
The places I’ve been
And all the people I’ve met
I am the books I’ve read
The movies I’ve seen
The music pouring through my earbuds
I am my midnight thoughts
And all the things I believe in
You’ll never know me
And I’ll never know you
Because we aren’t made of particles
We are made of moments
Carly Mauldin, Kilgore
SECOND PLACE (TIE)

Untitled

Roses are red
Mud is brown
Country music up
Tailgate down
TJ Spencer, Cushing
SECOND PLACE (TIE)

The Enemy

Bullets whizzed past me at high speed
I peeked out from cover and saw the target
He also saw me
Before he could shoot
I ran back to cover
Then I saw it
The extraction
A huge van
Painted in rust
I heard the target creeping around the corner
Before he saw me I shot
Five loud thuds against his body
I walked over to him and said “Good Game”
He said the same back
We both laughed as we were out of ammo
I headed over to the table and refilled
Then headed back onto the field
Ryan Thomas Beddingfield, Kilgore
SECOND PLACE (TIE)

Galaxy

Billions of people
Wrapped around technology and celebrities
What we don’t see is
We are 1 of the only living things
We are on a floating rock
In the nothingness we call space
Spinning around a ball of fire
Spinning around a prison
So dense nothing can escape not even light

Yet we are so wrapped in our own ways
To notice
Too wrapped up
To think past
Little green things with big eyes and head
Abby Reeves, Cushing
THIRD PLACE (TIE)

Behind My Eyes

Behind my eyes you may not see it
But there is
Hate
Anger
Sadness
Behind my eyes I dig through my thoughts
But for some reason
I just can’t find it
Behind my eyes there is darkness
My soul is so dark and depressed
And in my heart there is a big black hole
I search and search but I just can’t find the light
Behind my eyes I see it
There is a glimmer of light
I have to run to it
Behind my eyes I run to the light
Darkness tries to grab me every chance they get
Then right before the light I see the greatest
darkness behind my eyes
My mother’s death
I see myself at the age of five
I see her in the car lying down dead
As I’m in the back afraid with barely a scratch
Behind my eyes I try to fight it
I cry and cry I just can’t beat it
I will never be able to enter the light
Dalton Leutwyler, Cushing
THIRD PLACE (TIE)

The Flowers

Oh dandelion, oh dandelion,
How you swing in the wind.
You’re the prettiest thing in mankind
Besides the sun coming over the horizon.
Oh rose, oh rose,
Your beautiful, majestic, petals.
Butterflies and stinging nettles,
My love for you tenderly grows.
Oh sunflower, oh sunflower,
How your speckly seeds grow to my heart.
It’s sweet that you and the sun never look apart.
Your gracious shade of color glistens every hour.
Oh daisy, oh daisy,
Your beauty will never perish.
So I will forever cherish,
How much you look like heaven, it’s crazy.
Oh Indian paintbrush, oh Indian paintbrush,
Your colors go together,
More than me and my twin brother.
And more compassionate
than any of my crushes.
Abby Hattaway, Kilgore

SECOND PLACE (TIE)

EIGHTH GRADE

The Woods

The woods whisper to me in the night
Stories, they tell, of life and death,
Beauty, Pain.

FIRST PLACE (TIE)

Hurricane

I’m a hurricane
I don’t belong to a city
I don’t belong to any man
I am a wanderer,
A one night stand
Here I stand alone
Erasing everything in my path,
If you look into my eye you will see my past
You will see serenity from the disaster I have
caused
I am a hurricane; master of destruction;
Beautiful in many eyes but a history of pain
Jaylen Mitchell, Cushing
FIRST PLACE (TIE)

I Am

I’m the sound of screeching tires on the road,
The animal I resemble is a small mouse
Running from an owl,
Except with me I’m running from life,
I’m the song that’s trying to be made,
But can’t find the right lyrics,
I’m a big fat ugly zero,
That wants to be a one but can’t get there,
I am the banged up car in the junk yard,
I’m the messed up couch
That the white fat girl sat on and broke ,
I’m the first piece of bread,
That everyone touches but never really wants
I’m the squeaky clarinet,
I’m the place where there is nothing but graffiti
and broken glass,
I’m the flower that is beautiful from afar
But when you get close you see it’s ugly,
I’m the tree that’s getting set on fire,
I’m afraid of tomorrows,
Behind my eyes I’m hiding this great big,
War…
Brittany Sanches, Cushing
SECOND PLACE (TIE)

Clone

You don’t look like them.
You don’t have what they have.
You don’t talk to the same people.
You don’t have their personalities
so you change.
You strip yourself bare of every flaw
you come across to be like them.
You lowly slice away your external being,
to be like them.
The need to be the same spreads inside of you
like a wildfire,
burning everything in its path.
But at the end of the day,
you look at the unknown creature
staring back at you,
and you realize that it’s too late to change.
Too late.
Ciaira Guyton, Kilgore

The woods hint at more than we could ever
imagine.
A world full of species upon species,
Each life with their own story,
From the tiniest creature to the largest beast,
From the smallest weed to the most beautiful
tree.

The woods depict an amazing picture.
Complete with all the charm and mystery
one could hope for.
Finished with all the joy and sorrow
that even the best artist could never
paint.
The woods are overflowing with stories.
You can chop down the trees.
You can hunt out the animals.
But you will not take their stories,
For the woods are a book that will never be
burned.
Madeline McCrory, Kilgore
THIRD PLACE (TIE)

Hunting

Hunting is my thing
I like it more than I like to sing.
Whether its deer, hogs, bears,
rabbits, squirrels, dove, or ducks,
I sure like trying my luck.
It makes me feel like a man.
I am a big fan.
Zachery Newman, Cushing
THIRD PLACE (TIE)

Bo Bates

I came into the office
My father spoke the
Words I cannot bear
“Bo was in a wreck
Bo is gone.”
Bo is gone.
The pain rips me apart
It was like losing a brother
Now a brother in my heart
Bo is gone.
The pain swells up inside
I cannot hold it in anymore
He was always by my side
Bo is gone.
The pain continues to spread
Like an unstoppable virus
continued page 36
MAY/JUNE 2017 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 35

POEMS continued from page 35
But I keep it all in my head
Bo is gone
My father spoke the
Words I cannot bear,
“Bo was in a wreck
Bo is gone”
Cerenity Exline, Kilgore

NINTH GRADE
FIRST PLACE

The Life of Mom

Shrieking sound of tears are
Heard from down the hall;
I jump out of bed with a slump;
Searching for the screaming
When the noise ends and
I fall back in bed, I hear
The rage of the alarm,
Ringing somewhere.
Up again I rush to the kitchen
To flip on the stove and
Prepare the feast
With a sizzle of bacon and pop, pop of grease;
One by one, foot by foot are heard;
Coming to attack the fresh, fried bacon.
By the time six tummies are full;
Here comes another, larger than before;
It shakes and scuffles,
Making all types of sounds;
It wants breakfast; it needs it now!
When breakfast is finished,
Just the first meal of the day.
I don’t know how I do this each day?
But I know in my heart;
That there is no trade for
Love or for passion,
That a family can bring.
Madelynn Crow, Tyler
SECOND PLACE

The Soft Blow of Wind

The soft blow of the wind,
Flows free through my hair,
I’m going to Big Bend.
The rock under my feet,
The sun burning my skin,
Soft with light,
It’s beginning to turn night,
And as the sun falls,
I get a chill feel,
I have to go now, my parent calls,
But there is one flaw,
36 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MAY/JUNE 2017

If I go to their call,
I’ll never see the mountain standing tall,
I see it now and that is all
Skylar Hickman, Woden
THIRD PLACE (TIE)

All Bright Under the Sun

All bright under the rain
so glowing under the spirit’s
I spot sinning claws on the flock
Dig it! The boy must continue
All mournful in the world
I saw flying goats against the land
Be aware! The night will come as fast as light
All bright under the rain
I walk with scary disasters under the trees
Tighten up your shoes! The boy must continue
darkening hungry
where the light comes from
a trace of sadness
With what memories
the witness
come singing
remembering old times
Joseph Ramirez, Woden
THIRD PLACE (TIE)

It’s Too Late

She’s blind…
She can’t see the world plunging beneath her,
The Earth caving in.
She’s deaf…
She can’t hear the world warning her,
Screaming to stay back.
She’s mute…
She can’t tell them that she doesn’t know what’s
going on,
That she’s confused.
They’re blind…
They can’t see her world
plunging beneath her,
The Earth caving in.
They’re deaf…
They can’t hear her cries,
Screaming for help.
They’re mute…
They can’t tell her
that everything will be okay,
Because it’s too late …
Gracie Martinson, Tenaha

TENTH GRADE
FIRST PLACE

First World Problems

Here are my problems as they appear–
A soda with too much ice,
An iPhone that seems to have lost all life.
A cashier that takes too long to return my
penny of change,
And a Big Mac with pickles
instead of tomato slice–

Oh why is life such a pain.
I know others have it worse,
But the ending of Lost was as useful
as a dead horse.
And I realize
That there are people who starve
But what am I supposed to do
When Sonic gives me tots instead fries?
I suppose I could stop complaining
But what else would I say,
For me it’s always raining.
Oh, it looks like I’m running out of time,
The Kardashians are about
to come on at nine.
Mikel Feliciano, Longview
SECOND PLACE

Music is like the Wind

Music is like the wind
You can feel its effects
but it chooses not to be seen;
You can hear it rush
through crowds of people
Like a breeze through the trees.
And if you ask me who I want to be,
I’ll tell you
Music lives in the heart of every being
So let me use my talent
to express its true meaning.
Sarah Koop, Tyler
THIRD PLACE

What Love Means

You see her around,
You think she’s hot,
You do not know,
She thinks she is not.
You smell her hair,
You say, “You smell good,”
You don’t know,
What she silently wishes you understood.
You touch her hand,
You think you’re in love,
You do not know,
She’s never been loved.
She says to you,
“Why can’t you see?
I hate myself,
And I can’t comprehend.
Why do you love me?”
You say,
“Why can’t you tell,
You are beautiful,
To everyone?”
You say, “I love you,
Do you love me?”
She says,
“I don’t know,
What does love mean?”
Gabby Cupp, Elysian Fields

ELEVENTH GRADE
FIRST PLACE

Sunflower

A girl is a sunflower
Standing tall as she
Turns her face to the sun.
She finds sunshine wherever she goes
Her lips are as soft as petals,
Her eyes big and brown
The breeze silently cheers her on
And the crickets serenade her.
The grass tickles her feet
One day she’ll grow
And see more of the world
That belongs to her.
The clouds watch over her, and
Cry so that she may grow.
Standing steadfast in a storm
Or dancing in the wind
A girl is a sunflower
And she is grounded in her roots.
Malis Dachelet, Woden
SECOND PLACE (TIE)

River in the Distance

I can hear the roaring water
The splashing of the rocks
Water spraying the sides of the landscape
Digging the soil beneath its wake
I can feel the river in the distance
Next to the edge, I begin to walk in
My waders on and water up to my knees
The river has slowed
becoming so nice and peaceful
Casting out for a trout, hoping I get one
Only to see the river in the distance
Dreaming of the day I can walk once more
Just to get near the river’s shore
Seeing the trout and salmon
jumping every which way
Moving up shore for a new home for spring
If only I could see that river in real life
and not in my dreams
One last cast is all that I ask
I thought I would go back
after I took off this cast
If only I knew this would be my last time
To see the river
So beautiful and divine
As I sit with the cabin to my back
and with my morning cup of joe
Thinking about all the times that we had
All I ask is for my grandchildren
to see the world
Especially the one of its own
The river in the distance
Dawson Cunha, Beckville

SECOND PLACE (TIE)

THIRD PLACE (TIE)

As my fingers grace the keys,
As the strings are coerced to ring,
Music, Measure, Melody.

The wind blows through the trees.
Telling stories of where it has been
and what it has seen.
The wind tells the tree of the people it has met.
The wind whistles like a bird
and is as soft as feather.
The wind picks you up
and sets you down on your feet.
It runs through clouds and hits the ground
and moves the land.
But the wind does not speak
of how lonely the sky can be.
At times, the wind has only itself
to converse with.
The wind is ever so lonely,
so he reaches down to tell the trees
Of distant land and beautiful people.
The wind talks about wavy waters
that wash upon the shore
And the great, ginormous green hills
and the green leaves turning brown.
With all the trees and animals
the wind is still lonely.
The wind can come and go when it wants
but when it is gone,
The wind is alone.
Jamie James, Woden

The Language of the Soul

Of darkest nights and deepest seas,
Of brightest skies and feathered wings,
Of many different things it sings.
Heat of Summer,
Green of Spring,
Leaves of Autumn,
Winter’s Sting.
Requiem or Fantastique,
To me the Music seems to speak.
Not simple words or human vocation,
But with the soul’s own elucidation.
It speaks of Love,
It speaks of Grace,
It speaks of Pain, Distress, and Plague.
A conduit of raw emotion,
I pour my Heart into it with devotion.
My Music is my jubilation.
My Harmony is my Communication.
Korbin Davis, Longview
THIRD PLACE (TIE)

The Journey

The starting line awaits
Music slowly begins to flow
throughout my ears
My journey has just begun
Feet begin to crisscross at an opposite pattern
The speed begins to pick up
Darkness is all that is near
except for the few light poles around
The feet continue to pound
at the hard concrete surface
The tempo of my breathing begins to increase
In through the nose
and out through the mouth
The heartbeat continues to function
at a rapid cadence
Cold air conjures the ghostly breath
out of my body
My leg strength begins to diminish
I must not stop
The finish line is close but seems far
Breaths flow in and out rapidly without control
Sweat beads have begun to drip across my face
The feeling in my feet is of nothing but pain
In my face appears the finish line
Just a few more steps
I slowly pass the line ahead of me
The strenuous journey
has finally come to an end
My feet slowly come to a halt
Now the journey is over
Strength is finally regained
Now I wait for my next journey ahead
Jacob Watson, Beckville

The Wind Blows

TWELFTH GRADE
FIRST PLACE

It’s About Love

That sound,
that sound of Canon in D,
as you play the violin with a broken string,
that sound holds a whole new meaning,
beyond the scratches and screeches,
I can hear it,
it’s about Love.
That sight,
that sight of an upturn
at the corners of your mouth,
looking at you now I finally see,
with fresh eyes a smile really wipes a soul clean,
not politeness or white teeth,
I can see it,
it’s about Love.
That feeling,
that feeling of rested butterflies
and four o’clock cups of tea,
holding hands and brown eyes
make lines easily read between,
these extraordinary daily routines,
it’s not boredom or resigned fatigue,
I can feel it,
it’s about Love.
Claire Simmons, Cushing

MAY/JUNE 2017 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 37

Two Peas in a Pod
The Purple Hulls serve up
Southern acoustic roots music

Katy Lou and Penny Lea Clark of the Purple Hulls return to East Texas for
June performances in Nacogdoches and Tyler.. Photo by Matt Munsey

By Alia Pappas
Purple hull peas are a favorite southern dish, and musical
twins Katy Lou and Penny Lea Clark, who perform onstage
under the unusual name The Purple Hulls, are serving up
their own acoustical version of the homegrown dish to an
increasingly hungry audience.

The

THE

Baker

PURPLE

family

HULLS

tbf.nacogdoches.org
38 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MAY/JUNE 2017

Together, the East Texas-raised singer/songwriters write,
record, and perform bluegrass music with a Christian flair.
They describe it as “acoustic driven, original, traditional roots,
and heavy on the harmonies.” In June, the duo returns home
to Northeast Texas with a new album under their belt to spend
some time sharing their sound with the area that inspired it
all.
As children, Katy Lou and Penny Lea grew up working on
their parents’ farm near Kilgore and they say their Purple
Hulls name came about to pay homage to their Texas farm
roots.
“Yes, we grew purple hull peas, although I can’t remember

there to actually be a whole lot of
back-and-forth contemplation behind
naming our band after the crop we
grew and loved. Who wouldn’t want to
name their band after food?” Katy Lou
says. “It may have been some sort of
subconscious effort to identify with our
roots and to remind ourselves of the
lessons and gifts that were so tangled up
in our upbringing on the farm.”

In Harmony

The transition from close sisters to a
band was a natural thing too, the artists say. It happened when they were in
college, after Katy Lou and Penny Lea
became interested in playing a range of
instruments and performing with other
musicians — always as a team.
“It was in the blueprint to specifically
have a duo group,” Katy Lou says.
“We’ve grown up singing together, and
since we got into playing instruments
in college, we’ve played and sang with
different groups, but we were always in
the groups together. The duo situation
just naturally took form when we
weren’t playing with other artists. We
never really tried to make it happen;
it’s just been a natural progression
of our musical journeys. We’re identical
twins. We shared a womb. Sharing a
band is cake.”
Kay Lou and Penny Lea’s music was
heavily influenced by their upbringing
in Texas, as well as by their exposure
to creative songwriting and the
opportunity to connect with others that
songwriting can provide.
“We grew up around this culture of
singing with your family and friends
and cousins,” Penny Lea says. “You
could probably find that anywhere, but
I think there is a sort of uniqueness
to this area and the influence the
people and culture have had on our
music. The Overton Bluegrass Festival
was our annual dose of live acoustic
music growing up, and we would blare
the Saturday morning western swing
and bluegrass radio shows from my
dad’s old Dodge when we were working
in the pea and corn fields.”

in us by our roots and family,” Katy Lou
says. “Also, the harmonies found in old
hymns fueled our fire for music while
growing up. I also believe the Lord
gifted us with a measure of musicality.
Because it’s a gift, it’s something that
I cherish and am thankful for. That’s
inspiration enough for me to love music
and to keep on loving it.”

Two Hearts for Home

When the two sisters join forces to write
songs, they say their status as identical
twins can have both negative and
positive impacts on the collaboration
process.

Some of the songs they’ll sing at The
Purple Hulls’ upcoming shows are off
of the Why We Sing album, which is
available digitally on the band’s website,
thepurplehulls.com. This album showcases the creativity of Katy Lou and
Penny Lea, who made the record
“completely independently.”

“Our twin sync was great on the
basketball court, but sometimes thinking
so alike while trying to pen a song can
get you stuck in ruts,” Katy Lou says. “But
other times, it’s completely and uniquely
awesome because we never feel a
pressure to settle for something we don’t
really like in a song — we usually either
both like it or both want to trash it.”
While The Purple Hulls’ new album,
Why We Sing, includes many enjoyable
songs, Penny Lea finds special meaning
in a tune the twins wrote in honor of
their late father.
“I enjoy sharing the [song] we wrote
about our dad, ‘Things I Wish He
Knew,’” Penny Lea says. “The song
came about from a list of things on
my computer that I wish my dad could
know and experience with us here
on this earth, even though I know he
wouldn’t want to leave heaven. And
we’re delighted to discover what a great
conversation piece it is after shows. The
responses and stories from the fans are
moving.”
The Purple Hulls make it a point to tell
their audiences about their songs and
to offer their audiences open, honest
performances.
“We want to genuinely connect with
folks and share the stories behind the
songs,” Penny Lea says. “People tend
to leave a concert having laughed and
cried — and hollered some too.”

When asked what she loves most about
returning home and performing in the
area, Penny Lea says that the people are
what make the experience.
“We’ve made many lifelong friends with
the folks we’ve met along the way in
Northeast Texas.”

“It was exciting,” Penny Lea says. “We
were free to do whatever we wanted,
artistically. It is humbling when people
tell us they listen to it every day, and
that their kids enjoy it too. We selfproduced the album and played everything except the bass and fiddle. As far
as what we took away, I think we came
out with creative ideas for the next
project, possibly collaborating with
other musicians.”
The Purple Hulls have recorded three
albums thus far: Ten Thousand Exits, Close
to Home, and Why We Sing. According
to Katy Lou, The Purple Hulls’ plans
for the future are to continue to write
songs, turn the songs into albums, and
share their music with audiences, both in
person and online, wherever possible.
“Essentially, our goal is to keep going,”
Katy Lou says. “I think I speak for both of
us in saying it is by far the most difficult
and exhausting work we’ve ever done,
and therefore, very rewarding.”
The Purple Hulls’ concert schedule
includes performing in Northeast Texas
at the Blueberry Bluegrass Concert in
Nacogdoches June 9 and at Liberty
Hall in Tyler June 16. For details, visit
tbf.nacogdoches.org and libertytyler.
com. And to read more about their
tour schedule or download their digital
albums, visit thepurplehulls.com.

Katy Lou adds that she and her sister’s
love for music and musical gifts also
seem to serve a higher purpose.

Monica Rizzio is bringing her “Back
to Texas” tour to The Bowery Stage in
Winnsboro on May 13. She grew up
in Quitman, won blue ribbons at the
Winnsboro Rodeo and went on to study
music at Belmont University before
relocating up north to Cape Cod,
Massachusetts. She was the front woman
in a touring folk band named Tripping
Lily for 10 years before leaving the band
to get back to her Texas roots style of

music. Her album Washashore Cowgirl is
on the Americana charts and charted
as high as No. 2 on the Folk charts.
The name comes from what the locals
call someone who moves to Cape Cod
but was not born there, a Washashore,
and since she’s from Texas they added
Cowgirl to her nickname. For tickets and
more information on the Winnsboro
show, go to winnsborocenterforthearts.
com.

On May 23, 2000, Jacksonville
native Lee Ann Womack released
“I Hope You Dance,” a song
that became a No. 1 country
hit and even crossed over on
the Adult Contemporary chart.
Read more about Womack in the
County Line Magazine archives at
countylinemagazine.com.

Miranda Lambert is on the road this
year with her “Highway Vagabond
Tour,” named for one of the songs on
her latest CD, The Weight of These
Wings. The tour is taking her all over
the country and to England, Scotland,
and Ireland. She’s joined on stage with
Aubrie Sellers, the talented daughter of
another East Texas country singer, Lee
Ann Womack. They’ll swing through
Texas with a show at the Off the Rails
Festival in Frisco on May 6.

the time using the free wi-fi. The food is
cooked fresh so it may take a bit of time,
but once your plate heads your way, you
won’t be disappointed.
The bread at Strada is warm, soft, and has
just the right texture. A filling of spinach
leaves, feta cheese, and roasted bell peppers on ciabatta and tomatoes is particularly savory, and Strada’s sandwich plates
come with a side of perfectly salted chips
or a soup of the day. Service is great; the
staff is friendly and when prompted, provide suggestions. They even allow you to
customize your plate; if you want something off menu, all you have to do is ask.
Customers order and pay at the front,
then seat themselves. Located near the
register is a bakery case where an abundance of freshly baked goods such as pies
and cookies are available.

Warm, welcoming offerings like panini, espresso and a revolving door of desserts are served in casual
style at Strada Caffe in Tyler. Photo by Eli Acuna

Where Italian Street Eats
are an Everyday Affair
By Eli Acuna
Strada Caffè — which means “coffee
street” in Italian — is where you come for
the coffee, but stay for breakfast or lunch.
This small, cozy eatery in Tyler is open
every day of the week — until 4 p.m. on
weekdays, 8 p.m. on Saturdays and 2 p.m.
on Sundays.
When you walk inside, the home-like decor is welcoming, as are the chalkboard
menu and art on the walls. Although the
same food isn’t available every day, the
daily specials are delicious and have great
“plate appeal.”
The breakfast menu is well-rounded with
options like croissants, oatmeal, quiche,
and fruit. The local favorite is the Belgian
waffle. Served on weekends, it comes with
a side of fresh strawberries and whipping
cream, and is lightly dusted with Belgian
pearl sugar so it doesn’t even require maple syrup.
Bakery menu items at the espresso cafe
differ daily too and range from carrot
42 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MAY/JUNE 2017

cake and tiramisu to cinnamon rolls and
scones. Strada’s specialties include the
Tarta de Santiago, an almond cake from
Galicia, Spain, which is gluten- and dairyfree.
During a recent trip to Strada, I decided
to order a Vegetarian Panino and a soy
chai latte. The young man at the register
assured me that the panino (singular for
panini) is one of the restaurant’s most
popular choices. In addition to the vegetarian option, customers may choose
from the ever-popular chicken pesto
panino, ham and turkey, or special panino of the day. Specials may range from a
turkey/bacon/avocado combo to a Yucatan version — containing pulled pork
marinated in citrus juices and served on a
rustic baguette.
Strada also offers soups, and salads. The
chicken salad sandwich is another popular pick, along with the Caprese and Mediterranean salads.
After ordering, you can sit at a bar, table,
or a long booth. As we waited, I passed

As a cafe, Strada offers a myriad of caffeinated options. Along with standard tea
flavors, you can order lattes, cappuccinos,
straight coffee, and several other classics.
Some people really love the laid-back coffee table setup, where patrons have everything from honey to raw or regular sugar,
along with creamer and milk and non-calorie sweeteners to prepare their coffees.
The soy chai latte is smooth and subtly
sweet. Faint notes of the strong coffee
beans mesh well with cinnamon chai flavor, and the soy milk adds a touch of vanilla. It doesn’t taste strong, but definitely
has enough caffeine to perk up your day.
Other drink options include smoothies, juices, and Italian or Mexican sodas.
One smoothie, called the Good Kind of
Fat, blends avocado and vanilla bean ice
cream together for an oddly delicious
and satisfying treat.
Like most cafes, Strada offers cookies and
pie for dessert. A stand out is the affogato,
a dessert that consists of a scoop of either
vanilla or chocolate ice cream drenched
in a shot of espresso.
Strada is one of my favorite places to visit
when I come to Tyler. The outdoor patio
is a great option when weather permits.
It is located at 302 E. Front Street. Call
903.944.7744 or visit stradacaffe.com to
learn more.

Best Steakhouse

County Line Magazine Hall of Fame

Celebration
Dining District

Tuesday & Wednesday

DINNER SPECIAL

Mixed Green Salad
Choice of Fresh Fish of the Day,
Ribeye Steak, or Filet Mignon
Served with Whipped Potatoes
and Green Beans $27.00

“Where the Locals Eat!”

Fb.com/SulphurSpringsTexas

800.300.6623 Community Calendar: HopCal.com

Top 100
American Steakhouses
OpenTable.com

An East Texas Culinary Destination since 2004
Best Chef 2017: Simon Webster • Best Getaway 2016

An East Texas Tradition
Burgers, Premium Hand-Dipped Ice Cream,
Breakfast Anytime, and more

www.saborapasion.com

903-729-9500

Located in a beautiful lakeside
lodge at 21191 FM 47 in
Wills Point,one block north of
Interstate 20, Exit 516
Open Tuesday - Saturday
5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Available for Special Events

Open 24/7 at

Make A Reservation

903-567-6551 • dairypalace.com

www.fourwindssteakhouse.com

I-20 & Hwy 19 in Canton, TX

903.873.2225

MAY/JUNE 2017 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 43

FOOD & DRINK

Authentic Recipe Book
Shares East Texas Favorites
In Jessica Dupuy’s book, United Tastes of
Texas: Authentic Recipes from All Corners
of the Lone Star State, she has this to say
about East Texas:
“Texas’ roots — as part of the Deep
South — begin in East Texas. While
French exploration occurred in the
late 1600s, settlement didn’t really take
place until the 1800s, and the food
in East Texas shows influences of the
French-Cajun areas of nearby Louisiana, while signature Southern flavors
predominate.”
The book is available on amazon.com.
Here are a couple of her recipes for
East Texas.

French Apple Pie
The filling in this pie bakes to an applesauce-like consistency. It may bubble
over the edges while baking, so place a
sheet of aluminum foil on the bottom
of the oven to catch any drips. Don’t
place the pie on a baking sheet. The pie
plate will stick to it because of the sugary filling. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.
1-1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons
all–purpose flour, divided
1/4 teaspoon plus a pinch of table salt,
divided
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
1/4 cup ice water
3 to 3-1/2 pounds Granny Smith
apples, peeled and thinly sliced
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
CRUMBLE TOPPING
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
Pulse 1-1/4 cups flour and a pinch of
table salt in a food processor 3 or 4
times or until combined. Add butter
and pulse 8 to 10 times or until mixture
resembles small peas. Drizzle ice water
44 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MAY/JUNE 2017

Prepare the Crumble Topping: Combine flour and brown sugar in a bowl.
Cut in butter with a pastry blender or
fork until mixture resembles small peas.
Spoon fruit mixture into crust; sprinkle
top with Crumble Topping.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes
or until lightly browned. Reduce oven
temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for 1
hour or until topping is golden brown
and apples are soft and tender when
pierced with a wooden pick. Shield
with aluminum foil to prevent excessive
browning. Serve warm with vanilla ice
cream.

Beat first four ingredients at medium
speed with an electric mixer until
smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients.
Cover and chill until ready to serve. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to
one week.

VISIT THE DISTILLERY AT KIEPERSOL

*To roast fresh red bell peppers, arrange on an aluminum foil-lined baking
sheet and broil five inches from heat, 5
to 10 minutes on each side or until bell
peppers look charred and blistered.
Transfer bell peppers to a heavy-duty
zip-top plastic bag. Seal and let stand 10
minutes to loosen skins. Peel, remove
and discard seeds, and finely chop.

By Elaine Rogers
For many people, the notion of simplifying life focuses on efforts to clear the
clutter, throw stuff out and invest in attractive storage bins to hold the excessive goodies crammed onto shelves and
into closets and rooms.
For others, it involves a giant lifestyle
change, like a decision to downsize and
move to a smaller abode — jettisoning
a large percentage of worldly goods in
the process. Often, this means trading
in five bedrooms for three or moving to
a condo or townhome from a large, traditional family homestead. But, some
people take the “less is more” view of
the world a little bit further.
Tiny houses are a small-but-growing phenomenon in the housing market, and
Longview builder Andrew Pleban claims
this novel, niche segment is a trend
whose time has come. As the owner of
American Tiny House, he has dedicated
close to two decades to the craft.
“It’s a real lifestyle choice, and people
who buy tiny houses do so because of
a commitment to a different way of living,” he says. “Most people report that
it gives them a real sense of serenity
because they’ve cleared away the clutter and streamlined their lives. It’s very
freeing to not have all of the useless
things none of us use all around us anymore. Instead, you have everything you
do need and nothing that you don’t.”
Pleban believes the tiny house market
is here to stay and “is a billion dollar industry that’s in its infancy. The reason I
say that is that the RV market is already
a billion-dollar industry, and tiny house
buyers have a very similar mindset to
RV owners.”

TOP: American Tiny House in Longview builds homes in a variety of styles, customizing the amenities to
suit the needs of customers seeking to downsize and declutter their lives. BOTTOM: Designed with elbow
room in their kitchens and baths with sleeping quarters and storage situated in lofts upstairs, tiny houses
make every inch count. Courtesy photos
46 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MAY/JUNE 2017

Recently, Pleban was working on a deal
with the city of Longview to create a tiny
house community, although the original site fell through. Still, he remains
optimistic about locating this type of
unique community in the Longview
area. “It’s going to happen. It’s just a
question of how soon,” he says. “We just
need a new location and to work out
some details.”
In the meantime, American Tiny House
builds several models of 400-square-foot

tiny houses for a nationwide customer
base. Costs start at about $50,000,
and his company offers slightly larger
styles as well. Each home is built at his
Longview location, attached to a custom trailer and then transported to
the customer. The typical timeline is
about 11 weeks. To be “street legal,” he
explains that the home dimensions are
limited to an 8.5-foot width and 13.5foot height.

In the Hot Seat

Pleban has built more than 100 tiny
houses through the years and several
of his projects were featured on TV
on channels like HGTV and FYI and
shows like’ Tiny House Hunters and Tiny
House Nation. He says tiny home buyers
have a variety of reasons for this level
of extreme downsizing, with mobility,
reduced or eliminated mortgage payments, low energy bills and even nonexistent property taxes.
“Some people buy them to put in the
backyard for grown kids or extended
family. Others want to live off the grid or
drastically lower their expenses,” he says.
With 400 square feet, you don’t even
have to pay property taxes, so that’s a
huge savings. And some people just rent
land and move whenever they wish.”
While the average American home is
about 2,300 square feet, a tiny house is
defined as 400 square feet or less, Pleban says. He adds that the American
Tiny Homes are designed with gourmet
kitchen islands and good-sized baths,
“so there’s plenty of elbow room.” And
the designs are innovative and styled to
help people make use of the outdoors
as “external living spaces.”
For information call 903.930.8500 or
visit americantinyhouse.com.

Brightly-colored metal lawn chairs never seem to go out of style, and, create fun, whimsical seating areas
by the pool and on porches and patios. Courtesy photo

Surprised recently by some fun-loving
mockery from The Tonight Show’s Jimmy
Fallon, Kathy and Louis “Skip” Torrans
of Jefferson are having the last laugh.
As owners of Torrans Manufacturing
Company, the couple produces colorful
powder-coated metal outdoor furniture
in classic and traditional styles.
Skip also published a book, called The
History of the Metal Lawn Chair … What
We Know Now, several years ago — the
source of the don’t-read-this-book ribbing from Fallon. The talk show host
joked that people shouldn’t read the
book because “who knows what types
of metal lawn chair advancements have
taken place over the last three years.”

Since the episode’s airing in late January, sales of the 240-page book have increased markedly from a previous low
sales rate of just two per week, and chair
sales remain brisk, Torrans said.
To keep the good humor going, the
Torrans spent some time in the spring
working on a video called Life of the Metal Lawn Chair in Jefferson, described as
a short spoof showing their retro-styled
chairs used everywhere throughout the
town. Known for their durability and
comfort, retro metal chairs run about
$60 and come in various styles, including gliders and loveseats. For more information, visit torransmfgco.com or
call 903-665-6449.

Long Cove Builds New Porch Houses
in Cedar Creek Lake Community
The waterfront community of Long Cove on Cedar
Creek Lake is adding a set of six porch homes. With
starting prices of $675,000 and three customizable
floor plans sized from 1,940 to 2,503 square feet, the
two-story homes feature front entry porches with scenic views of water, master suites and balconies. The
area has easy access to recreational activities like fishing and canoeing, and miles of hiking trails. Homeowners also have access to the marina and clubhouse
with a pool, workout facilities, and more, and Long
Cove has a golf course, boat club, and private beach.
Visit long-cove.com for more information.
MAY/JUNE 2017 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 47

FEEL GOOD

Therapy Dogs Lend Emotional
Support to the Petless
Few pet lovers are surprised by news
that being around animals may help
lower blood pressure, reduce stress,
and even lengthen human lifespans,
but researchers continue to study the
benefits of the human-animal bond.
And organizations like the National
Center for Health Research note that
the elderly, in particular, benefit from
interactions with therapy dogs — with
positives ranging from reduced levels of
pain and anxiety to less loneliness.

Tiger Charlie Finds
Sanctuary At Last
One of the newest residents in Murchison, Texas, is Charlie, a 17-year-old
male tiger rescued by a dissolved exotic
breeder. The majestic cat’s new home is
Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch
(CABBR), one of America’s largest animal sanctuaries, where some 40 different species that were rescued from bad
and inadequate situations are tended to
by a small, but dedicated staff.

Of course, Vickie Ragle of Therapy
Dogs of Van Zandt County doesn’t need
statistics or studies to prove any of this.
She sees the effects every day.
“It definitely has a positive effect,” she
says. “When we go to a nursing home,
the caregivers come running to us. They
tell us how people who haven’t been responsive to anything for weeks light up
like lightbulbs when we get there with
our dogs. It’s truly amazing.”
With a roster of about 16 therapy dogs
and 10 volunteer handlers, Ragle’s organization tries to fill the emotional
void for folks in senior living situations
or rehab facilities. Her teams schedule
regular visits and petting sessions.
Operating according to the requirements of an organization called the
Alliance of Therapy Dogs, Ragle trains
her dogs and owners via the organization’s certification standards, and her
teams make weekly or monthly appearances at destinations like Canton Oaks
Care Center, the Country Place Senior
Living Homes, Canton Healthcare, and
Crestwood Health and Rehab Homes.
Therapy Dogs of Van Zandt County also
visits the Van Zandt Library for a Dog
Days Reading Program and occasionally makes appearances at schools.
Ragle says that during their visits to senior living facilities, the volunteers and
dogs generally set up in a common area
or physical therapy room, then make
the rounds, touring individual residents’ rooms as needed or requested.
She says they stay as long as they need
48 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MAY/JUNE 2017

A therapy dog named Hobo snuggles with residents at Country Place Senior Living in Canton.
Courtesy photo

to stay, usually two to three hours —
and “sometimes that’s determined by
the dogs.”
“Dogs know a lot more than we do,”
she explains. “They respond to people’s
emotions. We’ve learned not to rush
the dogs, and not to make them stay
longer than they want to either.”
Ragle has five dogs of her own — Ladybug and Gigi are therapy dogs, but the
other three don’t have the disposition
for it, she notes. A lifelong animal lover,
Ragle worked with the Citizens League
for Animal Welfare (CLAW) until 2010,
then founded Therapy Dogs in 2012.
As a donor-funded program, Therapy
Dogs relies on community contributions and doesn’t take payment from
the medical facilities or others for its
furry visitations. For more information,
call 903.880.3514 or visit the organization’s website at therapydogs.com.

Charlie came from Colorado, where
a breeder was closing its doors and
dispersing some 70 tigers to wildlife
rescues. He came with no medical records and was declawed — a practice
considered inhumane and outlawed in
numerous countries because it involves
the unnecessary amputation of each toe
bone.
Two other rescued tigers at CABBR
live near Charlie, but program director
Noel Almrud says they are housed separately because adult tigers are solitary
in the wild. The trio take turns roaming
a three-acre yard and two quarter-acre
pens.
Started in 1979 as a donkey rescue by
animal advocate Cleveland Armory, the
non-breeding sanctuary now houses a
range of exotics like chimpanzees and
primates, as well as Asian water buffalo and American bison. There are
also plenty of farm animals in CABBR’s
care, and Almrud says the roster of residents numbers about 1,000. Operating
exclusively on donations, the ranch
hosts monthly tours, usually on the second Saturday. For more information,
call 903.286.7088 or visit the website at
fundforanimals.org.

Community Spirit

Shoes Speak Volumes at Athens Event

In the Upper East Side of Texas, a lot of
big-hearted people devote their time and
energies to helping others.
East Texas Food Bank, Tyler. This
group’s mission is to fight hunger and feed hope in East Texas.
800.815.3663. easttexasfoodbank.
org.
The Martin House Children’s Advocacy Center, Longview. A childfocused non-profit organization
dedicated to helping children
and teens who are victims of sexual or physical abuse or witnesses
to violent crimes. 903.807.0189.
themartinhousecac.org.
The Women’s Fund of Smith County, Tyler. Focusing on education,
health, human services, and art and
culture, the organization leverages
the philanthropic capacity of women as a catalyst for positive change.
903.509.1771. womensfundsc.org.
Texas
Star
Animal
Rescue,
Longview. Nonprofit animal rescue
group rescues dogs and cats from
kill shelters in Texas and Louisiana
and places them in loving homes.
903.660.2035.
The Hispanic American Association of East Texas, Tyler. An agency
that assists and represents immigrants appearing before the United
States Citizenship and Immigration
Service and Immigration Courts.
903.595.0066. hispaniccenter@sbcglobal.net.

The Fifth Annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event raises awareness of sexual violence in a humorous,
attention-getting way. From 8 to 10 a.m. May 27, during the Athens Old Fiddlers Contest and Reunion,
a slew of men take a stand for victims by walking or running a mile in red high-heeled shoes at the
square in downtown Athens. The event is sponsored by the East Texas Crisis Center, a nonprofit agency
that provides services to victims and survivors across five counties in East Texas. For more information,
call 903.579.2501 or visit etcc.org. Courtesy photo

Art of Peace
TYLER, TX

COMMUNITY – COMPASSION
CREATIVITY
Celebrating the United Nations
International Day of Peace
September 15 – 21, 2017
Art & Poetry Submissions Open May 1

By Elaine Rogers
With people honoring their mothers in
May, it also seems an appropriate time to
acknowledge a handful of modern mavens in the region who’ve made a habit of
leading by example — inspiring younger
generations and reminding citizens of all
persuasions of what everybody already
knows: women get things done.

Barbara Bass

A CPA and longtime partner with Gollob
Morgan Peddy PC, Bass was the first female president of the Tyler Chamber of
Commerce, then a three-term mayor of
Tyler, serving from 2008-2014. Civic involvements include the Tyler Economic
Development Council and the Better
Business Bureau of Central East Texas,
and she was a chairman of the Hospice of
East Texas and treasurer of the East Texas
Symphony Orchestra Association. As an
early and generous supporter of Tyler’s
“Shine Your Light” campaign, a charitable effort started after the Great Recession, she also serves in leadership roles
with various organizations like the East
Texas Area Council, Boy Scouts of America Executive Board, UT Health Northeast
50 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MAY/JUNE 2017

Development Board and United Way of
Smith County.

Judith Guthrie

Serving as U.S. Magistrate Judge for the
Eastern District of Texas for 27 years,
Guthrie retired in 2013. She also served
on the bench in Lufkin during that tenure, having earned a law degree at the
University of Houston — working at a
law firm by day and attending classes by
night. Today, Guthrie keeps an office in
Tyler’s Azalea District and remains actively involved in the community, serving
on the board of The Women’s Fund and
as executive secretary of Women in Tyler.
She’s also involved with nonprofits like
Habitat for Humanity and the Gateway to
Hope Day Resource Center. Guthrie was
succeeded in her judicial role by another
woman, Nicole Mitchell, a Baylor University graduate who, 35 at the time, became
one of Texas’ youngest female judges.

JoAnn Hampton

Elected four times to the Smith County
Commissioners Court, Hampton has
served since 2003, She launched her public service career prior to that with a six-

year stint on the Tyler City Council — including one year as Mayor Pro Tem. Her
work history includes employment at the
UT Health Center and a current position
with East Texas Medical Center’s cancer
clinical trials division. From the time her
two children were young, she volunteered
at their schools in roles like room mother,
eventually spending eight years in leadership positions with a local high school’s
parent-involvement organization. Hampton sits on the executive board of the East
Texas Council of Governments, and in
2014 received an Unsung Hero Award
from the Winners Circle Peer Support
Network of Texas.

Kristen Ishihara

A Longview attorney, city councilwoman,
and Mayor Pro Tem, Ishihara has a long
history of civic involvement and service.
Before her election to the Longview City
Council in 2014, she served on the Parks
and Recreation advisory board and the
city’s animal shelter advisory committee.
She was also instrumental in bringing
the first off-leash dog park to East Texas
through her work as a founding member of the Longview Dog Park, and she’s

a past president of East Texas CASA’s
(Court Appointed Special Advocates)
board of directors. An elder law attorney
with Ross & Shoalmire, she volunteers
as a mentor for Partners in Prevention,
coaches a Special Olympics team and is a
board member with D.O.R.S. Youth Transition Team. She was recently recognized
by the Longview Regional Medical Center’s Stars Over Longview program.

Enjoy Shopping, Dining & Entertainment
in Historic Mineola, Texas

Debra Robinson

As chief executive officer and general
manager of the Wood County Electric
Cooperative, Inc. (WCEC) — a position
she’s held since 1996 — Robinson is also
board president of the East Texas Electric
Cooperative in Nacogdoches. She serves
on additional boards like the Tex-La
Electric Cooperative and the Northeast
Texas Electric Cooperative, and she’s a
past chairman of the board for the Texas
Electric Cooperative. Working her way to
the top at WCEC through a variety of positions, she started there as an accountant
in 1983 after holding similar roles in the
oil and gas industry. A graduate of Texas
A&M University, Robinson is a past director of both the Quitman Chamber of
Commerce and the Wood County Industrial Commission. Other involvement includes the East Texas Workforce Development Board, the Wood County Extension
Program Council and the Wood County
Peace Officers Training Advisory Board.

MAIN STREET
FARMERS’ MARKET
Every Saturday May-October
8 a.m.-Noon.
NATIONAL TRAIN DAY
Historic Train Depot Museum
MAY 13
LIVE MUSIC & ARTS
Throughout the year
903.569.2087
MINEOLA HISTORICAL MUSEUM

114 Pacific St (Hwy. 69)
Open Thur, Fri, Sat 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

RAILROAD MUSEUM

Restored 1906 Mineola Depot
9 a.m.- 5 p.m. 7 days a week. FREE

AMTRAK TEXAS EAGLE

Designated Daily Stop 1-800-669-8509

VISIT THE
MERRY MERCHANTS
OF MINEOLA

MINEOLA NATURE PRESERVE

7:30 a.m. until sunset

Scarlett Sloane

In addition to being Nacogdoches’
Chamber of Commerce board president,
Sloane is a partner and certified financial planner with Raymond Jones Financial Services. Chamber officials describe
her as “extremely service-minded” and a
“mover-and-shaker.” She describes herself
as an eighth generation “Nacogdonian”
who loves Aggie football and anything
associated with her alma mater. She was
a flight attendant with Southwest Airlines after graduating from Texas A&M
University, and later worked in pharmaceutical sales. Eventually, she settled into
a career in finance, and besides holding
various leadership roles with the chamber, her service involvements are numerous and varied, including groups like
Junior Forum, Relay for Life, Newcomers
and Friends, the Cattle Baron’s Gala, the
Lamp Lite Theatre Advisory Board, and
Daughters of the Republic of Texas.

1.800.MINEOLA • www.mineola.com

Yoga Wine Laughter
Women’s Retreats

All Inclusive
Starting at $389
Home cooked meals
Accommodations
Yoga & all activities
Beginners welcome
Located in Mineola

Behold the Bold Umbrellaphant. Mount
Vernon Summer Children’s Concert with
music by Lucas Richman, poems by Jack
Prelutsky, and a child’s imagination, the show
takes guests into a world of animated creaturely objects with Ballpoint Penguins and
Shoehornets. Mount Vernon Music Hall.
903.563.3780 mountvernonmusic.org

Mockingbird. Longview. Caitlin’s world is
black and white. As an 11-year-old on the
autism spectrum, Caitlin begins to understand
how to get close to people, embrace the
messiness of emotions, and use her burgeoning artistic talents to change a community.
Along the way she learns how black and white
can always be complemented by a kaleidoscope of colors. artsviewchildrenstheatre.com
54 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • MAY/JUNE 2017

Shaping the Future of the Upper East Side of Texas

Inspiring Aspirations

Local youth involved with Kids Aspiring to Dream in Tyler join together to express their creativity in
areas like art, poetry, dance, music, and impromptu speaking. Courtesy photo

Schools, clubs, and a range of mentoring
programs throughout East Texas focus on
encouraging and empowering children,
with some geared specifically toward
artistic pursuits and others toward girls
and the goal of helping youth visualize
lives of achievement, accomplishment, and
personal power. Here are a few.
Partners in Prevention
A decade-old mentoring program that
creates match-ups between community
women and girls in the fifth grade through
high school, this group provides “Forever
Friends” pairings for one-on-one support
and weekly meetings. Mentors and the
girls typically meet in groups at schools
with a facilitator who plans activities, but
the program also has Forever Friends Too
mentoring involving one-on-one mentoring
for girls as young as kindergarten through
high school — plus a Co-Pilot program
for boys. Partners in Prevention serves
youth in six counties and includes school
campuses in Longview, Pine Tree, Spring
Hill, Kilgore, Gladewater, Hallsville, and
Ore City. More information is available by
calling 903.237.1019.
Kids Aspiring to Dream
Founded by former Lindale art teacher
Doris Batson, the Tyler-based nonprofit
Kids Aspiring to Dream uplifts youth by
encouraging students from junior high
through college to express themselves
creatively in areas like art, poetry, dance,
music, and impromptu speaking. Participating students connect with community
mentors through a “Light the Dream”
mentorship and leadership program at
monthly forums held at Tarrant Junior
College’s west campus. There’s also a

smaller program for “Baby K’s” as young as
nine, and in addition to artistic endeavors,
the nonprofit includes a scholarship program and charitable and service-driven
activities. For more information, visit
kidsaspiringtodream.org.
The National Charity League
This group is represented in Northeast
Texas by the Lone Star Chapter, which
serves Rockwall County. Putting an
emphasis on community service, leadership
development and cultural experiences, the
group strives to develop female leaders.
Each year, a small group of girls and their
moms have meetings and activities with
the goal of supporting as many as 20 local
charities like Meals on Wheels, the Special
Olympics and Operation Homefront.
Organizers say membership is limited,
with a total of 168 girls each year. After
students graduate from high school, they
may continue NCL participation through
a group called Supernovas. Learn more
about the Lone Star Chapter at lonestar.
nationalcharityleague.org.
The Rhoer Club
An affiliate of the service organization Sigma
Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., this group in
Longview caters to teenage girls aged 12-18
who also want to serve the community and
share their strengths and talents. The local
chapter is Alpha Gamma Sigma, and the
organization’s motto is “Greater Service,
Greater Progress.” Membership requires a
letter of recommendation and evidence of
academic achievement. Rhoers participate
in organizations like the East Texas Food
Bank, the Boys and Girls Club and Keep
Longview Beautiful. For more information,
email longviewsgrhos@gmail.com.

When facing a
movement disorder,
you want the most
skilled specialists

If you have Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, dystonia
or another movement disorder, you want intelligent and
experienced care. You want the ETMC Movement Disorders
Center, ranked in the top 10 percent of the nation’s programs
for deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgeries.

Under the direction of renowned neurologist Dr. George Plotkin,
a team of neurosurgeons has perfected techniques to reduce
the length of DBS surgery and improve outcomes for hundreds
of patients. For instance, a person with Parkinson’s disease is
likely to experience six more hours of daily functioning time
and need half as many medications after DBS.

[

DBS is one of many treatment
options offered at the ETMC
Movement Disorders Center.
To learn more, call
903-535-6092 or visit
etmc.org/movement-disorders.

The ETMC
Movement
Disorders Center
team provides
world-class care
and works
closely with
patients to
improve the
quality of their
lives.

George Plotkin,
PhD, MD

Loretta Daughtry,
RN, MSN, FNP-BC

Amy Mullins, RN,
MSN, FNP-BC

We care for East Texas
A not-for-profit organization committed to improving the quality of life in East Texas communities.

etmc.org

MAY/JUNE 2017 • COUNTYLINEMAGAZINE.COM • 55

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Heritage Customer

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